Love That Can't Be
by Ai Seikatsu
Summary: They say true love never dies no matter what. Five years after Usui leaves for England, he returns to Japan only to have Misaki end up being the dress designer of his fiancé. Challenges arises as the two struggle to make it through everything life throws at them, but will romance really be possible when there's a powerful Grandfather and clever fiancé in the way?
1. Chapter 1

**Ai: **So I got this little chatting with the character thing from mountaingirl47, so no hating please! Anyways, I am revi-

**Misaki:** I appreciate your, um... efforts in trying to make this story good and all, but aren't you going overboard with the revising?

**Ai:** You're so blunt, Misaki. I'll just ask for Usui's opinion then.

**Misaki: **Wait, what? Usui came back?!

**Usui:** I am so touched, Misa-chan. You miss me so much, don't you?

**Misaki: **Wh-what are you t-talking about, idiot Usui?

**Ai:** Go away, Usui! You don't properly come in until the next chapter.

**Usui: **Fine, but before I leave, Ai doesn't own Maid-sama.

**Ai: **Get out.

**Chapter 1:**

The sky had long gotten dark, and a young woman in her early twenties fished out her keys from her bag. Honey colored eyes scanned the nearly empty condo as soon as the door creaked open, hoping to catch sight of a certain blonde pervert. The woman scolded herself soon after, not wanting to drown in the thoughts of _him._

After taking off her shoes and slipping into some comfortable slippers, the woman found herself staring at the giant window in the living room. It called out to her, and she approached it. When the cold surface of the glass touched her hand, a ghost of a smile crept up onto her lips, illuminating the beautiful yet tired young face.

With a quiet sigh, the woman finally admitted defeat as her mind once again wandered to the person who had loved to stand in the same spot and gaze far out over the beautiful city. It was painful just thinking about it, and she sunk down onto her knees.

He had no idea how much she missed him.

It felt like a whole hour before the grumbling of a stomach broke the silence. The last time she had eaten was around a day ago, but she didn't really want to make dinner. It would undoubtedly cause a disaster, and the woman was in no mood to clean up the fish from her ceiling. Again.

Instead, she walked quietly into the bedroom and rummaged inside her drawers for a small wooden box, which contained a little slip of paper. It had already become a routine for her to do this every once in a while. Finally, the woman felt her fingers brush against the box. She slowly took the box out of the drawers and opened it. Inside were a heart necklace, various photos, and that slip of paper. She unfolded the paper and read the words. In truth, she wasn't really actually reading since she had already memorized every word a long time ago. She was just looking at the writing, admiring the beautiful script. It was just like him, elegant, smooth, and handsome.

_Kaichou,_

_I won't say much since I know you don't like it when people blabber on and on. I'm writing this letter because number one, I want to explain my decision to you, and two, if I didn't leave a letter, you would probably skin me alive the next time we meet._

_First of all, I need you to know that I will never forget the feelings and memories we share. They are my most precious possessions, and I will protect them. Remember that no matter what happens, okay?_

_When I took you for a "journey" in Miyabigaoka, you told me to not come back until my business was finished right? So I'll keep that promise for you. However, I don't know how long my business will take, and I don't want you to waste a lifetime waiting for me._

_If I don't come back in two years, forget me. Move on. It's already hard for me to be so far away from you, so if I have to live with the guilt knowing that I not only left you but also held you back in life, well, I don't know what I'd do. As much as I hate to admit it, there are other men out there that are kind and honorable. They will treat you well, and that is something I have always wanted you to experience. I will not hold a grudge if you do find him, and I will give you all my blessings. (Although when I come back, I may have to destroy him.)_

_Now there is one request I have of you. No matter what happens, I want you to believe in me. You may think this silly now, but just promise me that when the time comes, you'll believe me. Okay?_

_Please take care of yourself. Don't overwork your body, and learn to have fun once in a while._

_Oh yeah. Ayuzawa, don't get any cuter while I'm gone. You just don't know how cute you can be._

_Your Perverted Alien Stalker,_

_Usui_

That had been five years ago. Misaki still remembered how the letter fell out of her pockets a few days after Usui departed. How he slipped it into the pocket still remained a mystery, but that wasn't important. All this was so sudden. Just when the two of them had gotten together, he was ripped from her grasp. They both knew this day was coming, and he even told her he was leaving. For Misaki, it took about a month to finally realize and accept this fact. Whenever she saw blonde hair, she would run over to the person like a madwoman. Most of the time, that didn't end up well. Just as Erika had predicted, their relationship was filled with hardships.

Still, life had to move on. Aside from buying Usui's condo, Misaki locked away her memories of high school. During her last year at college, Aoi had dragged Misaki to a fashion show. She realized that she had some interest in designing after watching models walk around in breath-taking dresses. Aoi noticed this too, and helped her develop this passion. Even he couldn't deny that the girl had talent. About one year ago, he decided to switch careers from a dress designer to a male's fashion designer. Not wanting to throw the company away, Aoi gave it to Misaki. Now, the Yume Dress Designers is a very successful company.

On the other side of the world in England, Usui also moved on to a "new life". Not that Misaki was a stalker like him or anything, but being the new business typhoon of the western world meant that Usui had become the new favorite for news reporters and paparazzi to pick on. It wasn't uncommon to see the face of this handsome young CEO all over the media. When there was news of him, Misaki would always read it, and make sure that Usui was okay.

However, the one thing that bothered her was the fact that he was always smiling at the camera. There was not one picture of Usui frowning. These smiles may have fooled the rest of the world, but Misaki could see through the smiles. She had been with him for so long, seen his real smile for so long. When Usui smiled, his eyes would twinkle and his whole face would soften. Though she would never admit it, his smiles melted her heart every time and she would push him away so that he wouldn't catch her blush.

The smile that he presented to the public was still handsome, but his eyes looked dull and bored. They gave a feeling of coldness that sent chills down her spine. It didn't matter that he had grown taller and better looking. It didn't matter that he was drowning in money.

Misaki wanted Usui back. The old Usui.

"You stupid idiot. Come back. I'm waiting."

**XXXX**

"Forget it!" Usui shouted, loosing the calm façade he always wore.

Cold hard eyes stared back at him, narrowing in anger. "Don't forget that you are still a disgrace to the family. I will thank you for saving the business, but I owe you nothing more. If that girl from Japan is still on your mind, then I'm afraid I must do something to stop her from invading your thoughts."

The already tightened fists tightened even more. "What did you do to her?"

The office chair turned around, and the old man that was sitting in it stood up slowly. He smiled, revealing a set of yellowing teeth. Usui was amazed by how much the man resembled a street rat.

"You don't need to worry right now. I haven't done anything yet. Of course, you should know that even if she's not in debt now, I can always arrange for something to happen. No one, not even that lame father of hers, will be able to save her then."

To Usui, The only thing that mattered was Misaki's happiness and her safety. He couldn't let anything happen to the person that changed his life.

"I'll do it. Just stay away from her."

He hated how weak he sounded. Yet again, he had succumbed to his grandfather. Satisfied, the old man nodded at the door.

"Good. You are excused."

Without another word, Usui left the room. He walked down the one of many hallways in the castle and headed straight for his room. Once he was in his room, Usui sat down at his desk. He let out a frustrated sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. There was a picture peeking out from inside the folder, and he took a look at it. Staring back at him was his future wife, Cashlin.

Grandfather had tried to hide it, but Usui knew all about it. He knew what Cashlin's family did, and why this marriage was so important. Yet he did not want to be the pawn that was used to seal a deal.

They had actually met before as children. In fact, Cashlin was probably his first and only friend before he met Misaki. She was an average kid, slightly chubby and plain looking. Apparently, she was bullied often so she would come crying to Usui. Over the years, Cashlin has gotten skinnier and grown into a fine young lady. He didn't care about that though; because his heart had been taken by a demon president and he didn't plan to take it back from her either.

Misaki.

Usui wondered how she was doing. He thought about her every single day, and the thought of her leaving him was too much. She was the only thing that gave him hope. Hope for better days.

"I'm so sorry Ayuzawa."

**~!~**

**Ai: **So how was the first chapter?

**Misaki:** Why did you make me buy that alien's apartment?

**Ai: **Well I thought that it would be inter-

**Usui: **Because Ayuzawa needed to have something of mine with her 24/7. Isn't that right?

**Misaki:** I thought Ai told you to leave.

**Usui:** But I missed my little maid so much that I had to come back.

**Misaki:** Idiot.

**Ai: **Um... Hello? I'm still here... Oh whatever. Review please!


	2. Chapter 2

**Ai:** I'm back with another chapter!

**Misaki:** That was a pretty nice amount of reviews for the first chapter.

**Usui:** I'm here.

**Misaki:** No one asked for you, alien.

**Ai: **_Au_ c_ontraire_, Misaki. I know you have wanted this handsome devil to come back and visit you for a long time. Haven't you?

**Misaki:** How would you know? You don't own us.

**Ai:** ...

**Chapter 2:**

The alarm went off, and Misaki nearly fell off of the bed from the sudden noise. Even though she would have loved to sleep in, there was too much work to do. It was December, and all the women wanted new dresses for Christmas. The company had been super busy since November, and even though Misaki was the CEO, she felt like it would be unfair to her employees if she sleeps while they worked.

Within twenty minutes, she was ready to leave for work. Misaki grabbed a bagel on her way out and made her way to the parking lot. Since it was still early, she decided to take the long way to work. After all, with Christmas coming up in about twenty days, everyone had already put up their decorations. It would be fun to drive around and see all the lights and decorations. Not only did each individual family decorate their house, but companies and shops also did the same. The town also buys a giant Christmas tree each year and covers it with lights. On Christmas Day, the tree would be lit throughout the whole day.

After a couple minutes of random cruising, Misaki caught sight of what she was looking for. She had reached the inner parts of town, and it was beautifully decorated, as expected. It was amazing how much could change within a couple of years. Back when she was still in high school, little people in this town cared about Christmas. Then, as American influence grew, so did the influence of Christmas. It's not like people thought of Christmas as a religious holiday. They thought of it as more of a fun day to be with family and friends.

Either way, seeing all the happy faces of the people was relaxing for Misaki. She had now driven into the shopping district of town, and smiled at the early morning calmness. By noon, this place would be crowded with shoppers and the roads will be jammed. Just then, Misaki caught sight of a small crowd of people in the middle of the road. Almost all the people held cameras and notepads. Presumably, they were news reporters and paparazzi.

Usually, Misaki wasn't interested in these kinds of things. She found famous people annoying, and generally tried to avoid paparazzi and news reporters when they tried to interview her. This time however, it was impossible to avoid both the famous people and the paparazzi. They were smack in the middle of the road, conveniently blocking it. Slowly, the crowd started moving to the other side of the road and cleared a path for the cars. Misaki took the chance to drive by before all the other cars started to do the same. As she passed the crowd however, she slowed down. She wanted to see just whom it was that was making such a big commotion.

Almost immediately, she saw a flash of blonde hair in the midst of the crowd of dark hair. Out of nowhere, Misaki's heart started to beat wildly out of control. The only person in the world capable of making her feel this way was Usui. It just had to be him.

By this point, Misaki had stopped the car and was staring into the crowd, trying to locate the face of that person. She felt so stalker-ish, but she just had to know who that blondie was.

Even though the guy had his back facing her, Misaki knew that he was probably very attractive. He was lean and tall with a well-sculpted back. All around him, cameras were flashing. When the guy finally turned, time stopped for a minute. His eyes were green. Those beautiful piercing green eyes that she would never forget. The ones that were so soothing and calm. The ones that had said "I love you" so long ago. She knew it all to well.

It was an awkward situation at hand, and Misaki wasn't sure about how to react. Whenever she had imagined their reunion, she never imagined that there would be about a dozen reporters there. Then when Usui shifted a little bit more, she caught sight of a particular brunette that was wrapped around his arm. She was plain looking, but that just seemed to add to her natural beauty. This girl held herself elegantly, and smiled at the cameras like a movie star. The words "royalty", and "queen-like" popped into mind when describing her. Usui's free arm was wrapped around this new stranger protectively.

As if that wasn't bad enough, a sudden sparkle caught Misaki's eyes. Upon closer observation, it could be seen that the woman supported a brilliant diamond ring on the fourth finger of her left hand. That was the final clue. Misaki didn't need an explanation. Usui had moved on without her.

Rage took control of her body. So much that she was actually shaking. All the betrayal she felt from when her dad disappeared returned. The hatred for men she once harbored rushed back and hit her full force.

Without wasting another second, Misaki drove off. She would not be ruined by a guy. She would forget about him and move on. She had her own future to think about. One without Usui.

**XXXX**

Despite the calm expression on his face, it was obvious from the way his eyes would dart around every other second that the hero of the story was anxious. When he had asked for a twelve-day vacation to Japan, Usui hadn't expected Grandfather to really agree. Of course with the permission came the catch; he had to bring Cashlin along with him. Usui could only guess that this was Grandfather's way of keeping him in check. With Cashlin there, he wouldn't be able to run off and look for Misaki whenever he felt like it. Plus, if the two of them have a vacation together, a baby may just spring out.

Since he had been too occupied looking for someone, Usui hadn't even noticed the reporters that were tagging along behind him. The more that he tried to look for his little maid, the more dejected he got. He just couldn't find the one person he needed to see at the moment. Grandfather had made it clear before they left that Usui was not to go anywhere near Misaki's house, the maid cafe, Seika High, or any other place that she frequented. Then again, Grandfather wasn't there at the moment so he wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Not that Usui minded if he died.

Just then, he spotted a car turning a corner close by. There was just something about the car that made him look again, and surely enough, Usui identified the person inside the car. It was the girl that he had wanted to see for five years. The same raven black hair, the same liquid gold eyes. He had finally found her. She was alive and well, just the way he wanted her to be. Everything was instantly one hundred percent better.

While Usui was rejoicing the fact that he had found Misaki, the girl clutching his arms did not enjoy the same happiness. No matter where they went, the young CEO always attracted a lot of attention. Cashlin just wanted for them to have some alone time together, seeing that he was always so busy during the day. If she had the choice, she would have chosen to gone to a more romantic place like Paris or Verona. It really didn't matter though, because she was just happy to be with him. Usui was the one person she could always turn to when she was being bullied. He was her first love and that didn't change one bit over the years. Even though the two of them were engaged now, there was something that always bothered Cashlin. She realized that something was off about the way that her fiancé held her, smiled at her, and even talked to her. It was as if he was forcing himself to be next to her. Ignoring this constant pang of insecurity, she blamed it all on his lack of interaction with the outside world. With a hundred watt smile, Cashlin looked up at her future husband, the love clearly written on her face.

"Takumi."

"Yes?"

"Let's go somewhere else. It's getting pretty boring here. Besides, these reporters are starting to bother me."

"Where do you want to go?"

"Well I hear there was a great mall seven blocks down. Maybe we could do some Christmas shopping? I mean, I think people would really like it if we got them an unusual gift. Besides, it's kind of cold out here."

"Sure. Let's hurry up then. Do you have all your stuff with you?"

"Yay! Yes, I have all my stuff. Thank you."

Leading Cashlin towards their car, Usui once again looked back at the place where Misaki's car had disappeared moments ago. He was content with the fact that he saw her with his own eyes. He would definitely go find her later. She was just like he remembered, though he'd be lying if he said she still looked the same. Her dark hair now reached the middle of her back, and she definitely became girlier than before.

Usui chuckled to himself.

"We meet at last, kaichou."

**~!~**

**Ai:** Damn. This revision took almost half an hour. But I'm happy with the outcome.

**Usui:** I'm happy to see that Ayuzawa likes my body.

**Ai: **... Out of all that you could have said, you chose that.

**Usui: **What's wrong with what I chose?

**Misaki:** Everything.

**Ai:** I see you're alive.

**Misaki:** I was... doing something.

**Usui: **And what would that "something" be?

**Ai:** If you're going to be a pervert, then go elsewhere.

**Misaki:** Exactly. Now review so I can get back to doing my stuff. _Don't _even start, you two.

**Ai and Usui: **Awww...


	3. Chapter 3

**Ai: **Ok, for those of you who haven't figured it out, I changed Natalie's name to Cashlin.

**Misaki:** Cashlin? I don't think I've ever heard of it.

**Ai:** You probably haven't.

**Misaki:** Any particular reason why you changed the name? Natalie was fine.

**Usui:** Well, Cashlin me-

**Ai:** No! Usui! Shut up!

**Misaki: **… Something… wrong?

**Ai:** Yes, he was about to spoil it.

**Misaki:** Wha-

**Ai:** Ok, so for those of you who like doing research, go on Google and search the name. Tell me if you think it was clever of me. **(^_^) **Oh yea, I don't own Maid-sama!

**Chapter 3:**

It has been three days since the run in with Usui, and Misaki was wondering if she had the wrong guy. Sure she had seen his face and stuff, but the guy _was_ surrounded by a whole bunch of people who were flashing their cameras like crazy. If that was not enough, the car that she had been in was a good few feet away from the crowd, and there was a big likely hood that it wasn't Usui at all.

"I'm sure there are plenty of blonde hair green eyed people in the world." Misaki muttered to herself. "Besides, famous foreigners give concerts here all the time right?"

Then for the first time in three days, a smile slid back onto her face. Usui was somewhere out there, working his hardest. He wouldn't just leave her like that; it wasn't like him at all.

Then, a blonde head popped into the office.

"Misaki, I thought I heard you laugh. What happened?"

"Oh Maka, what are you talking about? I always smile."

The young secretary gave her boss a look.

"Really? Because I think you may have forgotten to look at the mirror for the last few days. You were frowning so much that I was scared your face would freeze up like that and get all droopy."

"What's wrong with a droopy face?"

"I'm sure Mr. I'm-her-true-love-Usui wouldn't want to see an old lady when he comes back." Maka replied as an evil smile formed on her face. Being the same age as Misaki, the two women got along very well and soon became best friends. They knew each other's secrets and were bonded like sisters.

Misaki was caught off guard by that comment, and struggled to find a suitable reply. But then, the phone in Maka's office rang. The blonde head disappeared for a brief second before reappearing.

"Hey boss, there's a lady on the phone requesting to meet with you She said that she wanted you to design a dress for her. I mean, I know you don't do that kind of stuff anymore, but… she says she's about to get married."

"Fine. I haven't designed anything in a while, so I guess I could give this a shot. Tell her to meet me at two."

Maka hurried off to start working again, and the young CEO allowed her body to relax as she slid down her chair. It was almost one now, which meant that she had one hour for lunch before the appointment.

"I wonder what kind of lady this person is."

**XXXX**

_"Kaichou,"Usui said, wrapping his arms around the waist of a very surprised Misaki. The young woman gasped and tried desperately to wiggle her way out of his grasp, failing pathetically._

_"I-idiot! W-what are you d-doing?" a colorful blush spread across her face as she continued to try and squirm. After a while, she found that it was no use trying since the blonde's arms were too damn strong. Usui couldn't resist anymore. He finally had her with him, so close. Without thinking, he spun the girl in his arms around and hugged her close._

_The smile he wore was hidden in her hair as the smell of cherry blossoms reached his nose._

_"It's been so long."_

_The last sentence came out as a whisper while he brought Misaki's face closer to his and leaned in for a kiss. At the moment, nothing else mattered. It was just the two of them and their love for each other._

_Just as their lips were about to touch, Usui felt Misaki slip from his grasp. He panicked and tried desperately to hold on to her, but it was no use. Like a ghost, she floated out of his embrace and stood several feet away, her eyes holding an immense amount of hatred and sadness._

_This new Misaki looked like the girl from high school five years ago. She was wearing the green Seika uniform, giving off an aura of pure power. The air was filled with tension and Usui wanted so badly to tease this younger version of the girl he loved so much. When she spoke, the harshness of her voice was like a whip._

_"You promised you'd come back. You said you loved me."_

_Usui's face was devoid of emotion, but on the inside, he once again felt the heavy stone of guilt pressing down on his heart. He couldn't even look her in the eyes. She was correct. He had left her._

_"Kaichou, I never stopped loving you."_

_He mentally punched himself for saying something so lame, but he wanted her to know that even though he had left, his love still remained._

_"Do you really love me?" Misaki asked. Usui could see traces of tears in her eyes. At that, his emotions slipped through and he rushed over to her. Misaki wasn't one to cry. She didn't cry when she injured herself and she didn't cry when her family was in a financial crisis. The few pearly tears that slid down those pale cheeks were too much._

_"You know I do. Nothing's changed." he pleaded. Misaki wiped her tears and shouted back._

_"Well I'm just not good enough to live in your life! Go ahead and marry her then!"_

_"No, listen to m-"_

_He couldn't finish what he had to say since he was being pulled from "reality". The last thing he saw was Misaki reaching out to him, and he knew that she wanted him to hold her and tell her that she loved him._

A sharp shriek pierced Usui's ears. He opened an eye slowly to investigate, and found an overly excited brunette beside him, hugging her phone and almost bursting with happiness.

"What is it?" he asked, trying to adjust his eyes to the blinding sunlight. As if noticing the body beside her for the first time, Cashlin paused for a second before looking at her fiancé.

"Well, for the wedding, I wanted a Yume dress. Naturally, I wanted the CEO to personally design a dress for me. I knew that the CEO probably wouldn't agree, but I had to try. So anyways, I called the company and asked if she would help me out. Her secretary said she agreed and already set up an appointment for me." The reply was so fast that Usui wasn't sure if he heard correctly. Cashlin didn't wait for him to reply and continued to talk about the dress.

The blondie groaned. His _brilliant_ fiancé just _had_ to wake him up to tell him that she got someone to make her a dress. Feigning interest, he asked a few more questions about the dress company before burying his head back into the pillows.

Cashlin was taking this wedding thing too far. The wedding was planned for March, and the girl was already freaking out about every detail. It didn't even make sense for the wedding dress to be made now, since she was probably going to grow fatter by then. However, Usui couldn't really do anything to stop Cashlin since Grandfather had kindly reminded him of what "his holiness" could do. The grandson was only the marionette while the grandpa was the manipulator.

Though he was old, Usui learned to never take Grandfather for granted. The old man was somehow able to plan out every detail and make it all happen just the way he wanted it to. Things weren't looking good right now, but the young grandson knew that once the family business was actually his, he could divorce Cashlin. It would be a different story if there were a child involved, and Grandfather had been hinting at it for a while.

"Damn that bastard."

Cashlin's words broke through his train of thought and he was forced to abandon the topic. "The appointment is at two and I want you to come with me. I think the both of us should design this dress together. Is that okay?"

Even though he just desperately wanted to catch up on sleep, Usui nodded. There was a long stretch of silence afterwards, and he assumed that Cashlin was satisfied for now. He let out a small breath of relief.

Finding it difficult to go back to the dream from before the rude awakening, Usui started thinking about the designer he was about to meet. Yume was a designer brand, and a woman ran the whole company. However, not much else was known about the company in general. If that was all, why did he feel so... anxious about this appointment?

"Cashlin,"

"Yea?"

"I just remembered that I have some business to attend to. I won't be done till after two, so you go on ahead without me. I'll meet you when I'm done."

"Oh, sure honey. Just remember to meet me okay? Yume Dress Designers."

"How could I forget." he grumbled before letting sleep take over his body once again.

**XXXX**

One hour came and went. Maka sat in her office staring out into space when the ringing of a phone snapped her out of her trance.

"Hello? Yume Designer Dresses, Maka speaking."

"Ms. Maka? It's me, Cashlin Rich." came Cashlin's poor Japanese.

"Ah! Ms. Rich? Are you here for your appointment?"

"Yes, I'm in the lobby. I mean, if Ms. Ayuzawa isn't ready for me, I can wait..."

"Oh! No need. Do you see that elevator on the left wall? Take the elevator and come to the sixteenth floor."

"Oh yes, I see it! Thank you so much for helping out."

A few minutes later, Maka heard the sound of heels on the marble floor. A lady approached the desk and smiled.

"You're Ms. Maka? I'm so glad to have met you. You've really helped me out!"

The secretary looked up and was surprised to see a foreign lady standing in front of her. She hadn't thought that the company was known worldwide. She was just proved wrong.

"Oh no, we're the ones who are glad. It's people like you that keep us in business. Ms. Ayuzawa is right this way. I'll show you to her office."

Maka led the way to Misaki's office, and scanned her card. The doors slid open and Cahslin walked in. Originally, Misaki had been standing by the window. She turned around to greet her latest client but was beaten to the punch. The woman let out a squeal and ran up to her before she could even form a smile.

"Ms. Ayuzawa! It's such an honor!"

"No, no. The honor's mine." Misaki replied, forcing a smile. The happiness that she had regained earlier in the day disappeared in the blink of an eye. She recognized this woman. She was the one with Usui. He really had moved on.

**~!~**

**Misaki:** Wait, I'm a dress designer?

**Ai: **That was in the first chapter!

**Usui: **Kaichou, what's with the sudden change of interest?

**Misaki: **What do you mean by that? And stop calling me "Kaichou".

**Ai: **Aww... Misaki, you're too harsh on you're boyfriend.

**Misaki: **B-b-boyfriend?! No way! Never in a million years. Besides, he's already engaged.

**Usui: **By force. You're still the one I love, Kaichou.

**Ai:** Ok... let's save the fluff for the story. Review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Ai:** Grr.

**Usui: **Woof.

**Ai: **Huh?

**Usui: **Oh, I'm sorry. I thought we were imitating animal noises.

**Misaki:** Imitating animal noises? Really?

**Usui: **You should try meowing.

**Misaki: **No. Why should I?

**Usui: **Try it.

**Misaki: **Fine. M-me-meow...

**Ai: (O.o)** I do _not _own them. Nor do I want to. Haha. Just kidding. I do. **(T.T)**

**Chapter 4:**

A wave of sickness washed over Misaki. She felt dizzy, but there was a dress to design.

"I'm sorry," she began, "I don't think I remembered your name."

"Oh! Right, my name's Cashlin. Cashlin Rich."

"Of course. Well then, Ms. Rich. Let's get to work."

Misaki lead the other woman to a coffee table and pulled out some dress designs. There was no way to avoid this woman, so she thought that she might as well get the dress done as soon as possible.

Throughout the whole time that the two women were talking and taking measurements, Misaki felt her anger building up. She was careful not to show it and kept a cheerful smile on. Then, when Misaki was measuring Cashlin's waist, Usui walked into the room. He was in casual clothing; the complete opposite of Cashlin's formal get up. Usually, Usui wore a bored expression. However, as soon as his eyes landed on the young designer, the expression changed to one of complete shock. His hands froze on the doorknob.

Misaki had also looked up to see who had entered the office and stiffened up. She knew that Usui was bound to visit sooner or later, but this was totally unexpected.

There was an awkward silence as both sides tried to find an appropriate response. The seconds were ticking by and both of them knew that Cashlin was getting confused. Finally, Misaki broke the silence. She held her hand out for him to shake.

"Hello, Mr. Walker. This is such a pleasant surprise. I read about you in the news all the time!"

Usui hated how formal she was being. He wanted her to call him 'Usui' again, or any one of the other nicknames she had given him. 'Mr. Walker' just didn't sound right coming from her lips. Of course, he did understand that it was best not to let Cashlin know about their past.

"The pleasure's mine." he replied quickly, taking Misaki's awaiting hand. For a brief second as they were shaking hands, Usui wanted to pinch himself and make sure that he wasn't dreaming. Her small hands fit perfectly with his, and just holding those hands calmed him down. Cashlin seemed to relax, seeing that everyone was getting along.

"Oh!" Cashlin suddenly exclaimed, pulling her phone out of her bag. "I'm so sorry, but I forgot to make reservations for dinner tonight. I'll be right back!"

Before anyone could say anything more, she had crossed the room and slipped out into the hallway, creating another awkward silence between the two people in the room. Misaki tried to create as much distance as possible, and avoided eye contact. It was apparent that she wished to remain silent, so Usui finally started a conversation.

"Misaki-"

"Please don't call me by my first name, Mr. Walker."

Misaki wondered if it was just her imagination when she saw Usui flinch at her words. An unreadable emotion flashed across his handsome face, but it disappeared soon after. He took a deep breath and started again.

"Ayuzawa."

The way those four syllables flowed out of his lips reminded her of better days when the two of them faced the world together.

"Who told you to call me that?"

Usui smiled. She was definitely still the same old mare. Noticing her mistake, Misaki quickly corrected herself.

"I mean... It's _Ms_. Ayuzawa to you. And don't smile. It annoys me."

"Please listen to me."

Misaki took a second to think over what Usui had just said. She _was_ dying for an explanation, but she also didn't want to look like she cared. After all, it's not like _he_ cared. Misaki gave a small shake of her head. Usui however, decided to explain anyways. The problem was, where would he start? So much had happened, and he didn't have all day to talk. Usui's brain froze and he was growing more frustrated.

Five minutes passed and the doorknob turned: Cashlin was finished with her call. Suddenly, Usui knew what to say.

"Believe in me," he said quickly. Right after those words had left his mouth, Cashlin walked back in the room. He almost groaned at her timing.

"Ms. Ayuzawa, are we done for the day?" she asked, oblivious to the tension that once again filled the room. "I'd forgotten earlier, but I had made an appointment with the spa today at four, and well, I need to get going now."

Due to Cashlin 's terrible Japanese, it was hard for Misaki to understand what she was saying. Nevertheless, she wiped the murderous look off her face and smiled. Then, she nodded.

"Of course. I'll call you if any complications should arise. Don't worry about it."

Cashlin gave an apologetic smile before took Usui's hand and walking out the door. Misaki made sure they were in the elevator before bursting into tears.

**XXXX**

With one last glance at the building behind him, Usui finally into the car. Cashlin looked at him expectantly.

"Was everything okay back there? You seemed awfully tense, and Ms. Ayuzawa wasn't much better Do you not like her or something?"

Usui wondered how much he should tell his fiancé. He didn't want to lie about anything, as that would probably make the situation worse than it already was. Though Cashlin was very sweet and all, she liked to tell Grandfather about everything that happened to the two of them. Anything he told her would reach Grandfather's ears, and that would not end well.

"We were... friends in high school." he started, choosing his words carefully. "However, I lost contact with her after I went to Miyabigaoka. We drifted apart, and then we lost contact completely after I moved to England. I was just... surprised to see her today I guess. I didn't think she recognized me at first. It had been so long. I was surprised myself."

"There's something else, isn't there?"

"What more do you want to hear? We met in our second year of high school. Somehow, we became friends, and we worked in the student council together. After I left, she got new friends, and I met new people too. Then, I moved to England and stopped contacting her. We haven't heard from each other in five years, I think that my reaction would be no different from yours."

Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Cashlin left the topic and started twiddling her thumbs. Usui knew that she had something to say, but he decided to play dumb. Finally, she grew impatient and cleared her throat.

"Hey, Takumi." she said, refusing to look at anything but her hands. "Grandfather called me yesterday."

Every muscle in Usui's body tensed. He wondered if Grandfather already knew about their meeting with Misaki.

"He asked how we were doing, and he had a request."

"What request?" he asked, not sure if he wanted the answer. He was sure that Grandfather would keep his promise to not harm Misaki in any way, but the old bastard couldn't always be trusted.

"He wanted us to have a baby."

Well that was unexpected.

"A baby?"

Cashlin nodded, her face was very serious. That man was really trying to rush things. This new request of his only confirmed the theory Usui originally had.

"We haven't even gotten married yet."

"I know that, but Grandfather said that it doesn't matter if we start to try now. After all, the wedding's only four months away. If I get pregnant, it really wouldn't matter. You know how Grandfather is. He's a man that likes to get things done. And I mean, he's getting older and I'm sure he would like to see a grandson."

Usui didn't say anything, but kept on looking into the distance. He didn't know what to say. There were a thousand things running through his mind. How would Misaki react? Would she ever forgive him?

Noticing the discomfort on her fiancé's face, Cashlin felt like she had just been rejected. Did he not want to have a baby with her? Was it that she wasn't good enough?

She had been sure that he would be happy… or at least interested in the topic. After all, he did say that he loved her, didn't he?

Thinking back on everything, Cashlin realized that he never did say that he loved her. She just assumed that, since they were engaged.

"Hey, Takumi?" she asked in a small voice.

"Yeah?"

"Do you love me?"

Usui lingered for a moment before giving a small nod. This did not go unnoticed by her.

"Then say it."

"Say what?" he asked, pretending like he didn't know. This question would have come up sooner or later. He knew that from the start. In the past, he had always been able to avoid it. Now the two of them were in the car, alone. There was no way out.

"Look me in the eyes and say that you love me." Cashlin answered, her eyes filled with hope.

"… I can't."

**~!~**

**Ai: **You just rejected a girl, Usui.

**Misaki: **You forget that he did that quite often in high school.

**Ai: **Oh yeah. I forgot about that... But then he met you Misaki!

**Misaki:** Look where he is now.

**Ai:** Oh yeah.

**Usui: **Does Misa-chan really want me to love someone else?

**Misaki: **Hey! Wh-who said that?

**Ai: **Aww! Misaki is getting jealous!

**Usui: **So you want me to love you?

**Misaki:** Ai, shut up. And Usui, I never said that.

**Ai: **Um... You kinda did.

**Misaki:** It's been a while, but I still remember those aikido moves.

**Ai: **... You wouldn't dare.

**Misaki: **Oh really?

**Ai:** I meant review!


	5. Chapter 5

**Ai: **I have discovered something.

**Usui: **And what would that be?

**Ai: **I've discovered that you can't have green eyes.

**Usui:** And why not?

**Ai: **Because, if you are half Japanese, the brown eye color would override the green. Your eyes defy genetics. Your hair too... it can't be pure blonde.

**Usui:** Well you don't own me so you can't really do anything.

**Ai: **Hey, where's Misaki?

**Usui: **Probably _doing something_ again.

**Ai: **Pervert. Oh, and I don't own Maid-sama.

**Chapter 5:**

Misaki felt like a five year old the way that she just sat there and cried. Part of her was happy because she was finally able to see Usui again. The other part of her was sad because they could never go back to the way they were before. He belonged to another woman now, and they were probably happy together. The pain of losing Usui was too great, and it sort of felt good to let her bottled up emotions run wild. She wasn't a rock after all, no matter how hard she tried to be one. In the end, the barrier that she built had shattered, along with her heart.

Deciding that she had shed enough tears, the young CEO wiped her face and stood up. It was time to move away from the past. Suddenly, she had an insane urge to do something she had never done before. Slipping on a short dress that Sakura had sent to her a few months ago, Misaki grabbed her purse and headed out to find her friend.

"Maka?" she called as she knocked on Maka's door. A few seconds later, the door was opened.

"Yea? What do you nee- woah. What's with the getup?"

Taking in the puffy red eyes and the revealing dress, Maka slowly closed her laptop and opened the door even wider. Before she could get another question in, Misaki held up her hand.

"I'm not feeling like myself. Take the afternoon off and come with me. We're going to go to a club."

"You're kidding."

"Do I look like I'm joking?"

"Yeah."

"Well I'm not. Let's go."

Now this was surprising news. The poor secretary wasn't sure if she had heard right. Misaki despised clubs more than anything. She had always said that they were horrible places where men could abuse the girls. In fact, after buying the building for the company, Misaki had hunted down each and every club owner, and somehow magically got him to move elsewhere. Now every club in the town knew about this "demon" and it wasn't exactly the safest thing to be seen at a club with her. Also, Maka disliked clubs in general and avoided going if she didn't absolutely have to. Either way, there was not a single club within a three-mile radius, so for this man-hating, scary-as-hell CEO to want to go a club, something terrible _must _have happened.

By now, Maka was at her desk and Misaki started to advance towards her. The secretary figured out what her boss wanted to do and held on to the desk as tightly as she possibly could.

"Don't you dare."

However, Misaki was stronger and managed to drag her out. Defeated, Maka could only let out a groan and think about how stupid the idea was. She grabbed a coat on the way out and refused to speak a single word.

It was pretty nice outside so the two of them, or rather just Misaki decided to walk instead of drive. This was even more annoying since it was December and the warmest thing the women had were their coats. After a decent amount of walking, the two finally came across a decent looking place. It wasn't a five star hotel or anything, but at least the people inside actually had clothes where clothes should go. Besides, there was heating inside.

The two women stepped inside slowly and the smell of alcohol and sweat hit them full force. There was barely any room to move, and it took a minute or so before they even got used to the dim lights and the pounding music. Crinkling her nose, Misaki made a beeline towards the bar and plopped down on one of the stools. She signaled for Maka to follow. No sooner had they settled down, a balding waiter stepped out and walked over. He looked like he had had a rough day with the customers and was just ready to snap at someone.

"I want something strong."

Looking Misaki up and down, the waiter paused and thought for moment. "Are you of legal age?" he asked lazily. Not like it mattered. As long as money was involved, this guy would probably even give a baby alcohol.

"Of course. I'm twenty-three. What do you think?"

"That's what they all say." the waiter muttered under his breath. "What would you like?"

"Something that will make me forget."

The waiter disappeared behind the counter and appeared a few seconds later with a bottle of Sake. He poured a small glass and handed it to Misaki. To everyone's surprise, she drank it all in one gulp and focused her eyes back on him.

"Another glass, if you please." she demanded. There was a long pause as the waiter stared at the woman in front of him with disbelief. She didn't look like his usual customers. Judging from her appearance, she's never had any sort of alcohol before. If she had been an experienced drinker, he would have given her the second cup without question. This girl was still pure. He didn't want to let her do something she will definitely regret.

"Misaki, I think that's enough. You've never had any alcohol before. You're going to injure yourself."

Misaki paid no attention to Maka's warning. She reached for the bottle that the waiter had carelessly placed on the counter, and started to drink it before they could stop her.

**XXXX**

It wasn't like Misaki enjoyed the stinging feeling of the alcohol as it made its way down her throat and into her system. She just wanted to lose her mind at the moment. When Maka finally tried to interfere, a drunken Misaki slapped her and screamed for her to leave. Maka tried one last time to intervene but was unsuccessful. She headed home, feeling guilty about leaving her friend alone when she was so broken.

Not long after the twelfth cup, Misaki decided that anymore of this sake would drive her insane. It was a miracle that she was still able to move. Taking out ¥5000 from her purse, she handed the money to the waiter and hopped off the stool. Taking one wobbly step after another, Misaki managed to get outside. Now all she needed to do was remember the way home. The problem was that it was dark and freezing outside, and Misaki would have had trouble getting back to her car even if she was sober.

"Hey there. You don't look too well. Do you need a place to stay for the night?"

The man's voice was mocking and sarcastic. It was then that she realized she was surrounded by a group of guys. Despite her blurry vision, the lust on their faces were clearly visible.

"You're a pretty little thing aren't you?"

Misaki tried to say something, but ended up falling. She was too weak right now to hold herself off. One of the guys caught her before she hit the ground. Taking a good look at her face, the guy laughed.

"Yo boss! Look at this! She's Misaki Ayuzawa."

Somewhere to the left, a loud, thick voice also started laughing.

"So you're that little bitch who made me lose my business, aren't you? Well look at this. You're here now, and I can do whatever I want with you. This revenge will be very sweet."

_'Damn it. I don't have the energy to take all of them on.' _Misaki thought to herself. She glared at the men. "Don't touch me." She had tried to use the most deadly voice she could, but with all that alcohol inside of her, it came out as a weak whisper.

"I don't think so," the "boss" said, pulling her up roughly by the arms. The touch of foreign hands awakened Misaki's instincts. She had thrown the guy onto the ground in an instant.

"You'll pay for that, bitch!" a third guy yelled as he charged at her. She dodged his attack and kneed him in the groin. Without one more glance behind her, she fled the alley way as fast as her legs could take her.

After a while of stumbling and running, she finally felt safe enough to slow down. She was completely burned out and on the verge of passing out. Slumping against a wall, she closed her eyes and braced herself for the darkness. The last thing Misaki remembered before blacking out was being picked up by a pair of familiar strong arms.

**~!~**

**Ai: **Wow. Someone's being immature.

**Misaki: **How could you make me drink alcohol?!

**Ai: **You're back!

**Misaki(sighing): **I had to deal with Cashlin 's dress remember?

**Ai:** Ah. Right. Sorry about that. **m(_ _)m**

**Misaki: **It's alright.

**Ai: **Wait a minute. Now where's Usui?!

**Misaki: **Hehehe... Um... Review please.

**Ai: **You sound suspicious.


	6. Chapter 6

**Usui(whining): **Ayuzawa, why did you punch me? Did you know that I had to go to the hospital to see if I broke a bone or something? And you know how much I hate that place.

**Ai: **So that's why you weren't here!

**Misaki: **He deserved it.

**Ai:** What did he do?

**Misaki: **He... he was with Cashlin.

**Usui: **Kaichou, were you jealous?

**Misaki: **N-no.

**Usui(smirking): **Well I guess I'll just have to show you how I feel about you.

**Misaki: **Y-you stay away f-from me.

**Ai: **I don't own Maid-sama!

**Chapter 6:**

As Usui carried Misaki to the couch, he debated with himself whether to be happy or not. He was glad that the woman in his arms was safe, but furious that she would get herself into such a big mess. He was also angry with himself for not being with her.

"What am I going to do with you, kaichou?" he asked no one in particular as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears and stopped to admire her beauty. Sure Misaki wasn't that model from that magazine, but he liked her that way. Misaki was natural, never wearing any make-up unless absolutely necessary. She didn't need it anyways. Her face was pale and creamy; her lashes were long and curly. At the moment, Usui felt worthy of being the "perverted outer-spaced alien" as he let his eyes trail down to those rose colored lips.

It amazed him that even now, she was able to surprise him with her emotions, actions, and words. When Usui found her slumping by the wall, he was truly shocked. Misaki was a very strong woman. She has a very solid resolution, and isn't influenced by "the crowd". For her to get herself drunk to this state, she must have been hurt beyond belief.

It was his entire fault, and he hated himself for not being there. It was his duty to protect her. Now that she was unconscious, he could tell her everything he's been holding in for five years.

"I know that I don't deserve to say this, but I love you. Ayuzawa, you need to believe me when I say that I have not gone one day without thinking about you. I didn't know how long it would take to convince Grandfather, but if I had known, then I would have stayed. I wouldn't have let things gotten out of control like this. I don't know if we'll ever be able to feel like the way we did in high school, but no matter what, I will never give up on you."

After the small speech, Usui decided to let the girl rest. He sat besides the couch, thinking back to the previous afternoon in the car. It probably wasn't wise to let Cashlin know that he couldn't tell her he loved her. If only he had more time to prepare.

_"You don't love me." Cashlin choked out. "Why?" Tears were already falling out of her moss-colored eyes._

_"Look, Cashlin. You are an extraordinary person. Very beautiful." Usui said with a well-practiced, fake smile. "However, this is just the wrong time, wrong place. I'm not ready to this yet, and I hope you understand. In time, I will be able to say what ever you want me to say."_

_Cashlin looked up. "What do you mean? Is there someone else? Am I not good enough? I can change!" she cried._

_"I'm not cheating if that's what you're saying. Like I said, I need time."_

_The brunette wiped her tears and gave a tearful smile. "Alright.I trust your words. I understand that you need time, but please understand. I love you more than anything. I've loved you since I met you way back when we were children. If it's time you want, then you can have it. I'll wait. But please. When you are ready, say it to me."_

_"You have my promise." Usui said truthfully._

No matter how much Usui tried to shake off the memory, it kept on returning. He wondered if it was best for him to just marry Cashlin without a complaint, after all, he didn't deserve Misaki. He had put her through so much pain. A groan made him look up. It seems like someone was coming to.

**XXXX**

Misaki opened her eyes slowly. Judging by the brightness of the room, she guessed that it was early morning. There wasn't much that she remembered about yesterday afternoon, but she knew that she had been in some sort of trouble. After taking some time to sit up, she rubbed her eyes. It didn't help that her head was pounding and almost every part of her body was sore. Basically, she felt like shit.

The surroundings were familiar, and Misaki eventually realized that she was at her house. "How the hell did I get here?"

"I see you're awake."

The voice caused her to jump a foot into the air. She looked around the room and her eyes finally landed on an angry looking male besides the couch.

"What?! How the hell did you get in here? Wait, how do you even know where I live? Are you a stalker or something?"

"Would you like to tell me what you were doing at a club?" though Usui's voice was calm, it was obvious that he was equally angry.

"You answer my questions first."

"Fine. Maka told me."

"What?"

"Maka, your secretary. I bumped into her on the streets and she was panicking. She said that you were getting yourself drunk so she told me to get you and bring you home."

"You didn't break the door, did you?"

"I used a key."

"I'm guessing Maka gave it to you?"

"Uh-huh."

Now, both people had had calmed down. They sat in silence until Usui spoke again.

"I thought you were more responsible then this, kaichou. What were you thinking?"

And just like that, the calmness dissolved into anger again.

"I can do what ever I want! Why do you care?"

She would have said more, but a familiar sensation overcame her.

Rushing to the bathroom, Misaki managed to lock the door before burying her head in the toilet and puking her guts out. When she finished, she proceeded to rinse her mouth, trying to get rid the horrible taste of throw up. Her throat felt like it was on fire and tears were starting to blind her vision.

Usui stood outside the bathroom with a glass of water in hand. "Kaichou," he said in a soft voice, "open the door."

As expected, he was ignored.

"Ayuzawa," he tried again. "If you don't open within the next five seconds, I _will_ force my way in."

Still no reply. He patiently counted to five, and then proceeded to kick the door clean off its hinges, as promised. Misaki let out a small gasp as the door flew past, missing her face by a few centimeters.

"What the hell? Don't just kick down other people's doors without any warnings Usui!"

In the spur of the moment, she had let "Usui" slip out of her lips. Misaki only noticed this when he started smiling like a creep. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

"I did warn you. You just didn't hear me." he smirked. "Besides, I'll get you a new one. Made out of glass. That way, I can see my little maid while she's in the shower."

Misaki's face became red like a strawberry. "W-what the hell are you t-talking about, you perverted outer-spaced alien? And stop hugging me. You're engaged." she pulled out of his embrace as a new wave of pain hit her heart. "You're engaged, idiot." she whispered.

Usui sighed. "Look, Ayuzawa. Please just forget about that. I don't love Cashlin and I never will. I never saw the wedding coming. Just trust me when I say that I will get us out of this mess. Please."

He couldn't hold himself back anymore. Pulling Misaki's chin up, he crushed his lips onto hers. The kiss brought Usui back to five years ago, and he wanted more. Misaki gave a small gasp in surprise, and Usui took this chance to slip his tounge into her mouth. They both had forgotten how much they missed each other.

Misaki relaxed in Usui's arms and began to kiss back with the same fiery passion. Every limb in her body screamed that she was doing something very wrong, but her brain didn't listen. The two lovers finally pulled apart when they needed to breathe. Now that the bliss had gone, it was replaced by guilt. Misaki realized that she had just let her guard down, and was now having an affair with her client's fiancé.

She couldn't do this. She had to make the right decision no matter how painful.

"I'm sorry, Usui. I don't want to be involved with you like this. From now on, I will only see you as a client. Please go back to Cashlin."

"You don't want to be involved with me or you can't?"

"Please just leave me alone. I'm sorry. Goodbye, Usui."

**~!~**

**Ai: **Misaki, you're too harsh.

**Usui: **Do you really want me to leave that bad?

**Misaki: **It was for the best.

**Ai(sighing): **The man just saved you for heaven's sake! You really need to show some gratitude.

**Misaki: **Whose side are you on anyways?

**Ai: **At the moment, Usui's. Now, now Usui. I know what'll make you feel better! You can have the honor to say the closing line! **(^.^)**

**Usui: **Yay. Please review.

**Ai: **Don't you feel so much better now?

**Misaki: **Ai, I think it's best we leave him alone for now. He _might _be thinking of ways to kill you.

**Ai: **...


	7. Chapter 7

**Ai: **Hey guys! I'm back! Sorry about the delay. I had a 103° fever.

**Misaki: **Are you all right now?

**Ai: **Yup. **(^.^) **And so, I'm back with another chapter.

**Misaki: **Don't push yourself too much okay?

**Ai: **If only you cared about your own health like that.

**Usui: **You do always work yourself too hard Ayuzawa.

**Misaki(hugging Usui): **Usui! You're back. Are you okay?

**Usui: **Seeing my little maid worrying about me so much just makes me so happy. Oh yeah, Ai doesn't own us.

**Ai: **Still holding that grudge I see.

**Chapter 7:**

After telling Usui to leave, Misaki reluctantly returned to work. She had two things she needed to do. One was apologize to Maka, and the second was to start on designing Cashlin's dress. The first task was easily done, as the secretary happily accepted the apology and the two women rekindled their friendship.

The second task however, was not as easy. Misaki worked extra hard for the next couple of days, and managed to complete most of the dress. Today, she was attempting to draw the details. _Attempting_, because there was too much of a ruckus outside for Misaki to think straight. She dropped the fabric in her hands and marched outside.

"Maka! What's going on? Who the hell is making so much noise?"

The demon president was back again. One could almost feel the dark aura being released. A familiar looking blue-haired guy turned around and looked at the fuming CEO calmly.

"Well, isn't this great? I finally found you. Do you know how long it took me to find this place?! Think of all the harmful UV light that touched my skin."

"Aoi?" Misaki exclaimed. "Please tell me this is a dream. I don't have time to entertain you right now."

"Is that how you talk to your mentor?"

"_Mentor_?! Since when did you become my mentor?"

"Since I helped you develop your passion for fashion! Besides, I used to own this place! I can return whenever I want."

"Well, do you need something? Because I have something important to do right now."

Without waiting for an invite, Aoi marched into the office and plopped down on one of the couches.

"Well, gee. Why don't you come in, Aoi?" Misaki muttered under her breath before closing the door. She turned around and took a seat on the couch opposite the younger designer.

"Look, I have more important people to meet than you, ok? But I decided that being the good mentor I am, I should come tell you what I have discovered. And so, I bumped into Usui the other day, but he looked like he was with another girl."

"I already know. Thank you very much," Misaki said through gritted teeth. This surprised Aoi. The woman in front of him wasn't the most sociable person and didn't like to go out when unnecessary. He had thought that it would be highly unlikely that she would have spotted Usui.

"I know I don't go out much," she began, as if reading his mind, "I just happened to see him and Cashlin on my way to work."

"Who the hell is Cashlin?"

"The brunette girl you probably saw Usui with."

"Oh. Go on."

"I just don't know, Aoi. I mean, I saw him and this feeling came back to me. Then I find out about Cashlin and I'm lost. I don't know what to do. Then a couple of days ago, Usui found me in a… tight situation and he saved me. Then… we kissed. I told him to leave afterwards and now, I'm just trying to erase him from my mind."

Misaki finished talking and glanced up at Aoi. He was quiet, probably still digesting everything he just heard. Then, he grew angry.

"Are you stupid?!"

"Excuse me?"

"What kind of an idiot are you?"

"_Well_, this _idiot _is ready to send you to the hospital."

"Look, I want an honest answer. Do you love Usui?"

"Yes," the young CEO sighed, "I do. But this can't go on anymore. I can't be distracted b-"

She was interrupted when Aoi stood up and started to put his coat on, "Come on. Let's go." he said when he was done.

"Go where? I have work to do."

"You need to get off your sorry ass and forget about work! In fact, I bet you spend your Friday nights reading Encyclopedias. I can't imagine anyone who would want to date you when you're being such a hermit. I can't even understand why I hang around a boring person like you. Now you can either come with me willingly, or I can burn all of your diplomas."

"Like you could ever find them." Misaki scoffed.

"Oh really?" Aoi smirked as he pulled out her college diploma in one hand and a lighter in the other. This brought out the desired effect from the woman. "How the hell did you get that?!" she shrieked as she lunged for the precious piece of paper. Unfortunately, she failed to grab it.

"I have my ways. Now will you come with me?"

"I hate you. Bastard."

**XXXX**

As it turns out, the place Aoi dragged Misaki to was Seika High. Since it was a Friday afternoon, most of the students had gone home already. They stopped just inside the gates.

"Why are we here?"

"Seven years ago," Aoi started after taking a deep breath, "you met Usui Takumi right here, at Seika High. You didn't know anything about him, except for the fact that he was a heartbreaker."

The two continued walking through the campus, stopping at different places so that he could talk about its importance.

"This is the roof that Usui liked to come to. I think you first came up here to return Usui's scarf. That was when the two of you became friends. You realized that Usui wasn't the person you had thought he was. This roof is also the place where you had your first kiss."

Misaki turned red from embarrassment. How did this guy know so much? He didn't even go to the school! She was about to demand for some answers when he held his hands up, "Usui told me everything before he left. He said that the information would come in handy later. I guess he was right."

Misaki was left in silence to consider the guy's words. Had Usui really told him all that? And what did he mean when he said that "the information would come in handy later"?

They had already left the roof and started walking through one of the many hallways. Nothing had changed since the old gang graduated, and touring this school brought back so many memories. Soon, they stopped in front of class 2-2.

"During the school festival, you turned this classroom into a maid café. However, the guys were mad because you didn't ask for their input and left. Yet Usui stayed, even though everyone else thought that you were a sore loser. And you kinda were." he muttered the last part under his breath.

That was true. Usui was always there, no matter what. Even when other people doubted her. Misaki could always rely on him. Next up was the student council room. This place definitely held a lot of memories.

"The student council room. This is the place where three fourths of your high school life was spent. Usui liked to come here and annoying you didn't he? You always complained, but I bet you secretly liked it."

That was true too. It was sort of annoying to have someone stare at you at first, but it then became the norm.

"Okay," Aoi's voice broke through Misaki's thoughts, "we're done at the school. Now we go to Maid Latte. And on the way, we might as well stop by Miyabigaoka."

"Why do we need to go to Miyabigaoka? I've already wasted a whole hour."

"Can't you see that I'm trying to get you to realize how important Usui was to you? How important _you_ are to _him_?"

"What are you? My psychiatrist?! And I already know how important he was to me!"

"You used past tense."

"What?"

"You said that you know how important he _was_ to you."

"So?"

Aoi's eyes darkened, "_So_?! So you're just going to give up like that?! After all he's done for you? You really _are_ stupid. Why can't you open your eyes and take a look around? It's not all about you. Usui has to marry someone he hates, and then come back to watch the girl he loves shun him. Have you ever thought about what how he's felt? You guys are perfect together. Don't just give up like this. This isn't the Misaki I know. You would have found a way out of this. Please, give Usui another chance."

That was the first time Misaki had seen Aoi so mad, and his speech was a wake up call for her. She really was heartless. The rest of the "tour" was spent in silence. The two passed Miyabigaoka, the park, and finally arrived at the familiar Maid Latte. Well, it wasn't called "Maid Latte" anymore. Four years earlier, Satsuki had decided to change Maid Latte into an elegant tea parlor in favor of its previous style. The original staff that Misaki had worked with all moved away and found different careers. However, the shop still stands, and it still had a welcoming feel to it.

"Misaki! I haven't seen you in so long!"

Almost instantly, the raven-haired woman was tackled to the ground by a pinkette.

"Sakura! What are you doing here?"

"Well Kuuga and I came back from his tour a week ago and Aoi called. He said that he was going to throw a reunion party."

Sometime during college, Sakura and Shizuko both found out about Misaki's job at the café. They were surprised at first, but recovered from the shock and quickly befriended Aoi plus the staff of Maid Latte. Despite the age differences, everyone became good friends.

"Reunion?" Misaki asked. "Is everyone else here?"

"Yup!" Sakura beamed. "We were just waiting for you and Aoi to come."

As if right on cue, five women stepped out and rushed over. "You're here!" they all shrieked. The next twenty minutes was spent on hugs and greetings. By now, Aoi and the women had moved inside. They sat on the plush couches, each with a cup of tea in their hands. It was almost unbelievable how much has happened in a few short years. Sakura was engaged to Kuuga, Shizuko found a boyfriend, and Erika was pregnant with her second child.

Now that everyone was caught up on each other's lives, it was time to discuss the most recent news. Misaki was caught off guard when Satsuki suddenly grabbed her shoulders and looked her right in the eyes.

"I'm so sorry about Usui! But please, don't give up!"

"Wha-"

Shizuko joined in next. "Yes. Please give it another shot. I will be supporting you."

Next came Honoka, then Erika, Subaru, and finally Sakura. Each woman offered Misaki words of comfort and encouragement. They had all heard about Usui's engagement with Cashlin from Aoi, yet the news didn't seem to matter one bit.

"I know Usui wouldn't just leave you without saying anything. He loved you when he left and he still does. It would be such a pity to let go of this love." Sakura continued explaining. The others nodded in agreement.

"Look," Misaki started, " I appreciate your concern guys, but I don't know if this is a good idea. I don't even know if I'm ready for love again."

"We're not asking you to fall in love right away." Honoka replied as her face grew murderous. "We're just asking you to hear the guy out. I thought you may have changed, but I guess I was wrong. You're still such a spoiled brat. If I had known you would have abandoned Usui like this, I would have stolen him from you years ago."

Everyone tensed up. Their eyes darted between the blonde and Misaki, hoping the younger woman didn't take any offence. Unfortunately, it seemed like she had taken offence. Misaki looked like she'd been slapped across the face. Her eyes were widened with surprise and she looked like she was in a daze. Satsuki tried to break the silence weakly.

"Honoka… Usui was still a minor then. That would have been illegal…"

"I don't give a shit about the law."

"Right…"

Then, Misaki snapped out of her daze. She cleared her throat and caught everyone's attention.

"Honoka… you… you're right. I'm sorry for bringing so much inconvenience to you guys. I know you're just trying to help me. Thanks. A lot. I really needed this. I've decided. I guess… I guess I'll call Usui when I get home."

**~!~**

**Ai: **Wow. This chapter is like my longest one yet.

**Usui: **And you took a week to finish it. Procrastinating huh?

**Ai: **Hey! I did not procrastinate!

**Usui: **…

**Ai:** Ok fine. Maybe just a little. But I was sick ok?

**Usui:** Can I alert you to the fact that I wasn't in this chapter?

**Ai:** I think I know that, thank you very much. But don't worry. I promise you'll have a whole chapter with Misaki in the next update.

**Usui:** I don't trust in your promises.

**Ai:** What's that supposed to mean?!

**Misaki:** Review please!


	8. Chapter 8

**Ai: **So… I want Pocky.

**Misaki: **Pocky? Isn't that the thing Usui's always eating?

**Usui: **Yes. Would you like to play the Pocky game with me?

**Ai: **Aw gross.

**Misaki:** Isn't it that game you forced me to play a while back?

**Ai: **Yup. Anyways, here's a suggestion to my readers. You don't have to do this, but it may increase the effect of this chapter more.

**Usui: **Would you like to tell us what this "suggestion" is before we rot away?

**Ai(covering Usui's mouth): **I was getting to it! Geez. So impatient. Anyways, it would help if you guys listened to some sad piano or violin music while reading this chapter. Doesn't have to be a specific sad song. Just type "sad piano song" into YouTube, and click any one of the songs. However, I take no responsibility if you guys become depressed as a result of this. **(^.^)**

**Usui:** That's pretty dark isn't it, Ai? I don't think I want to be owned by such a weird person.

**Ai:** I never did own you…

**Chapter 8**

Misaki flung the condo door open and almost collapsed right there, exhausted from the day's events. After Honoka had calmed down, the reunion went by smoothly. However, her friend's encouragements about Usui were stuck in her mind. She had promised everyone that she would call the guy, but then she realized she didn't have his number. Assuming Usui had gotten a new phone since high school.

With the thought of him in mind, Misaki once again walked to her bedroom and took out the necklace and the letter. She didn't read the writing like usual, she just sat there and stared at the paper. All of a sudden, three words jumped out. '_Believe in me_'.

_'Wait a minute. He knew that this was going to happen all along, didn't he?' _she realized._ 'The letter, telling Aoi our history… he knew that I would probably lose faith in him. That's why he kept on saying 'believe in me'!'_

Misaki decided that no matter what, she needed to get in contact with Usui. The only problem now was how she couldn't do this with out alerting Cashlin. She reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. Perhaps Aoi knew what to do, considering how he knew everything about everything.

She was just about to call said person when something caught her eyes. It was a little piece of paper that was lying on the floor. She picked it up out of curiosity. Written in a messy scribble were a phone number and a note that said _'Go call him idiot._' Misaki smiled and shook her head. That Aoi was really something. One day, she would definitely punch him in the face. On a second thought, maybe not. Either way, she owed him.

She punched the number into her phone and pressed the call button. It rang two times before Usui answered.

"Hello?"

Relief washed over Misaki when she heard his voice. However, the confidence she had before the call vanished immediately. She bit her lips nervously.

"U-Usui, i-it's me. Misaki. There was a silence on the other end.

"Misaki?"

"Yes it's me! Why are you so surprised?! It's not like I'm the one who got your number! So shut up idiot!"

"Misaki, calm down. I haven't said anything yet."

"But you were thinking it!"

"Aw, Misa-chan knows me too well. This makes me so happy."

"Creep."

"Did you need something?"

_'It's now or never.' _she thought.

"Uh, I-I wanted to meet you. I have some important things to discuss with you. C-can you meet me at Seika tomorrow?"

There was a long pause on the line and for a second, Misaki thought that Usui was going to refuse.

"Yea. Sure. Are you in trouble?"

"No. I just wanted to talk."

"Okay. I'll meet you by the front gates at ten?"

"See you then."

Misaki hung up and let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. This was her chance to correct everything. Putting the phone away, she slipped into a nightgown and fell back onto her bed. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

**XXXX**

Usui stood in front of the school gates repeatedly glancing at his watch. It wasn't like Misaki to be tardy, but perhaps she was caught up in traffic. As if on cue, he suddenly saw said person running in his direction.

When Misaki finally got to the gates, she leaned against the metal bars for support as she caught her breath. Green eyes scanned the woman from head to toe, taking in the casual jeans and t-shirt she wore. Even when dressed so plainly, she was still so beautiful.

"Sorry I'm late. Traffic was terrible."

"I see. Well if you had taken any longer, I would have gone to your house. I was just fantasizing about what colored underwear I'd find you in."

"So early in the morning and your perverted-ness is already tuned to the max huh?"

"Only for you."

Misaki shot Usui a glare but decided to keep quiet. She spent some time smoothing out her pants before looking back up.

"Why don't we go in? I thought that maybe we could talk somewhere inside the school."

Usui's eyebrow shot up and he followed the woman along a familiar path that led to the roof. When the two of them finally settled down, Misaki looked up at the sky and began talking.

"You know, I wanted to say that I misjudged you. I thought you'd left and forgot about us. About me. I waited everyday for the last five years, hoping that maybe you'll send me a letter or something. Something that told me I was still in your mind. That "something" never came. I was beginning to lose hope in you. When I saw you with Cashlin, I let myself be convinced that you had stopped loving me. For that, I'm truly sorry. I want… I want to start over again. I… I want to pretend that you never left. Is that okay?"

Usui lunged forward and crushed her in a tight embrace. No words could possibly describe how happy he felt. He had really begun to believe that there was no more hope.

"Misaki… Thank you. Thank you for not giving up. There was not one day when I didn't think about you. You were always in my mind no matter what I did. I was so worried that you may have overworked yourself. It killed me to not be able to contact you, but there was no way I could. But this is all in the past. I'm here now, and I'll never let you go. I promise. Once I go back to England, I'll set everything straight. The next time you see me, I will have broken all ties with the Walker family."

Misaki pulled out of the embrace. She was slightly surprised that Usui called her by her first name, but she was to occupied thinking about another thing he had said to be rejoicing. Did Usui just say that he was going to leave? Was he going to be gone for another five years?

"What do you mean by "the next time you see me"? Are you leaving soon?"

"Yes. Our vacation ends on Monday."

"B-but that's only two days from now!"

"I know, but for this last time. Please wait for me a little bit longer."

"No. Not this time. You've protected me so much in the past. I can't just sit here and wait. This is _our _relationship, which means that we need to fight for it _together_. I won't just make you do all the work. Bring me along. I'll talk to Gerald, your Grandfather and whoever else I need to convince."

"Ayu-"

"I'm coming. That is final."

Usui sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He argued with himself about whether he should agree or not. But then again, once Misaki set her mind on something, she will do everything possible to achieve it.

"You're so stubborn. But I guess there's nothing I can do about it. Please try to be safe. My grandfather is a sly and tricky man. I don't want you hurt."

"Oh please. Like he'll be a challenge. I'm ready for this. We're in this together, Usui."

"Fine. Be ready Monday morning. We leave at nine."

_'Usui, you don't need to face the world alone anymore. I'll always be by your side. No matter what.'_

**~!~**

**Ai: **So first off, I want to ask, did anyone else read the latest Maid-sama chapter?! Because the whole thing with Igarashi was like so unexpected! Well not really, but still. I'm also happy that she was finally able to see him. It was such a touching moment. But anyways, back onto the topic of my chapter. I can't believe I wrote this whole chapter while listening to the saddest music in the world.

**Misaki: **You were listening to sad music while writing this? Why? Did something happen?

**Ai: **I don't know. Just feeling a little down lately.

**Misaki: **You're always in a bad mood when you update chapters.

**Ai: **Well it's only when I'm in a bad mood that I can actually settle down and write.

**Usui: **And that's why you are an unsuccessful writer.

**Ai: **Well your unsuccessful at life.

**Usui: **I wonder how long it'll take for you to realize that my "unsuccessful life" was created by you. Please leave a review. **(-.-)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Ai: **So guess what guys?

**Usui: **What?

**Ai:** You two just received your very first questions!

**Usui and Misaki:** …

**Ai:** Okay, so this is what happened. This nice person, Sen Knightwalker submitted a review. Now in this review, Sen asked each of you a question.

**Misaki:** Did you want us to answer them?

**Ai: **Yup! So Misaki, you're first! The question is: "So, will you guys get married?" I'm assuming Sen means you and Usui.

**Misaki:** M-m-married?! What the hell?! I'm too young to get married! W-w-what kind of q-question is this?

**Usui:** Of course we're getting married. After all, we love each other so much that it wouldn't make sense it we didn't. **(^.^)**

**Misaki:** Shut up! That was my question!

**Ai:** You're too cute Misaki! And now for Usui's question: "Have you ever heard of a guy named Kei Takishima? Will you battle him?"

**Usui:** Kei Takishima? From Special A? We're actually good friends.

**Kei:** Were you talking about me?

**Ai: (O.o)** Where the hell did you come from?!

**Usui:** Hey Kei, would we battle each other?

**Kei:** Why not? You know I'll win. Just go ask Miss Rank 2 over there and she'll tell you.

**Hikari:** Don't call me that you retard!

**Usui:** That was funny. I guess you're just too stubborn to admit that you're weaker.

**Ai:** Kei, Hikari, you two don't even belong in Maid-sama! Get out! I don't own Maid-sama nor do I own Special A!

**Chapter 9:**

As soon as Misaki got home, she rushed to get her suitcase packed. After stuffing a couple outfits for casual and formal occasions plus a few toiletries, she was all good to go. The only thing left to do now was to contact Maka, Suzuna, and her mom. Misaki wasn't sure how long she was going to stay in England, or if she was going to be able to contact anyone once she was there. The one thing she didn't want was for people to freak out.

Once they were told about her upcoming absence, Misaki decided to call Aoi and thank him. He picked up almost immediately with an irritated remark.

"What do you want, old hag?"

She gritted her teeth and bit back an insult.

"_I wanted to thank you._"

"Oh? What for?"

"I wanted to thank you for getting Usui's number for me. I called him and we're on speaking terms again."

"Speaking terms?"

"Yes."

"What the hell?! I didn't go through all that trouble getting the damn number for you to just be on "speaking terms"! You better fix your whole relationship or I swear I will kill you."

"Would you calm down?! I wanted to let you know that I'm going to England with him. We've decided to fix this mess."

"Oh. Well then why are you talking to me?! Go get ready! I don't have time to waste by talking to you."

"What the he-"

But it was too late. Aoi had already hung up.

"Well I guess that's that." Misaki muttered to herself. All the preparation work was done now, but there was still a whole day left until the departure. Her mind drifted to Cashlin and then to the woman's wedding dress.

_'Oh gosh. I almost forgot about that!' _

The designs had been coming out pretty nicely, but there still needed to be some final touches. Might as well use this time to completely finish the dress. It may be close to midnight right now, but that didn't bother the young dress designer. She grabbed the keys and hopped into her car. There was work to be done.

**XXXX**

"Done!"

Misaki leaned back into her chair and allowed herself to be engulfed by the cushions. It had been five hours, but it all paid off now that the design for the dress and all its measurements were on their way to a seamstress. Hopefully, the physical dress will be done within two months. Since there really was nothing to do now, Misaki decided to go get some fresh air. On the way out, she grabbed a coat and plugged some headphones into her ears.

It was mid-December and the air outside was cold but comforting. Christmas was approaching quickly, and a blanket of snow covered everything. Misaki didn't know where she wanted to go, so she just let her feet carry her as she lost herself in the music. So much was going on, and things had really progressed in the last two weeks. She started out not knowing what would happen between Usui and herself, and now she's made plans to talk to this infamous Grandfather in England. Was she really ready for this?

"What could you possibly be so focused on that you don't even notice the fact that I was following you for the last few blocks?"

The voiced almost made Misaki jump out of her skin. She turned around, ready to kick the invader in the nuts. However, she was definitely surprised with who she saw behind her.

"Igarashi?!"

"In the flesh."

"What are you doing here? And more importantly, why the hell are you following me?"

Igarashi merely shrugged. The two of them hadn't seen each other since the end of high school, but both stayed in Japan.

"I saw you walking and decided to follow you. Not like I had anything else to do." he replied smoothly.

"Don't you have a business to run?"

"Don't you?"

Misaki clenched her fists. So he was still the same annoying twit.

"Well if you don't have anything to say, then I will continue with my str-"

"I heard you're going to England."

"What?"

"Don't play dumb. You're going to England on Monday aren't you?"

This was seriously creepy. It was already strange that Aoi knew so much, but he was a close friend. Igarashi on the other hand was definitely _not _a friend. Where as everyone getting his information from? Usui hadn't told Igarashi had he?

"My family owns the land you guys are flying out of. Naturally, we also get a list of everyone who goes through that airport for security reasons. I saw your name on that list." he said as if reading Misaki's mind.

"Well what does it matter to you?"

The young man sighed as he glanced at the falling snow. It was getting pretty cold, and they should go somewhere warm unless they wanted to freeze.

"Let's talk somewhere else. Why don't we go to that café you used to work at?"

Misaki narrowed her eyes. She didn't know what the guy was planning, but he didn't seem very trustworthy. He did have a point though. It really was freezing, and there would be people at Maid Latte. He won't be able to do anything with out causing a scene. Grudgingly, she started walking towards the tea parlor with Igarashi following closely behind. The walk was spent in silence, but both sides felt surprisingly comfortable with the other. Ten minutes later, they sat inside the parlor trying to warm up.

"Now that we're all warm, care to tell me why you care so much about where I'm headed?"

Igarashi sighed. She was one persistent woman wasn't she?

"I know you won't believe me, but I care about you, okay? I don't know why I would ever take interest in such a boring person such as yourself, but I did. I know Usui's back and all, so that's probably the reason you're going."

Misaki sat there with her mouth open. Igarashi cared for her? Never did she in a million years expect him to come even close to liking her. Was he just joking around? A look at his face told her otherwise. He was being one hundred percent serious. What was she supposed to say? Just as she was opening her mouth to say something, he cut her off.

"This isn't a marriage proposal alright? I just want you to know that I see you as a woman. Someone I don't want to see hurt. England is a dangerous place. Especially since you never left the country before. There's also the fact that Usui's grandfather is also there. One wrong move could put your whole family's life in danger."

"I wanted to request a favor from Grandfather." she had just said this without thinking. For some reason, Misaki decided to trust Igarashi. He had nothing to gain from all this, and they were no longer foolish high school students anymore. There was no more need to fight with each other.

"What?"

"I'm going to England because I want to ask Grandfather to cancel the wedding."

Igarashi almost collapsed with laughter. He took a second to recompose himself before responding.

"You're going to try and _convince_ him to _cancel_ the wedding?"

Misaki frowned. "Yes. Anything wrong with that?"

"You really expect that you can just waltz into the office of one of the most powerful men in the western world and demand for him to cancel the wedding, possibly destroy his company, just so that you and Usui can be together?"

"Yes, pretty much."

"Do you realize how rash that idea is?"

"Yes."

"And you realize that you have very little chance of succeeding?"

"Yup."

"But you're still going to try to change his mind."

"Yes. I changed your mind on raping all the women in the world didn't I?"

Igarashi smiled. Misaki had changed so much since that day in high school. And she was right. He hadn't been very confident in her when she said she was going to change Grandfather's mind. He is a powerful man, but so was he. He had originally wanted to have his way with Misaki, but she changed his mind. Not only that, she changed the way he looked at the world. He found out that day that not everyone succumbed to money. That there were people out there who were still untainted by the terrible world around them. If she could change him, then she could also change Grandfather.

"Yes. Yes you did. I guess I lose this argument then. In that case, I guess I only have one more thing to say. Do your best over there, and don't ignore your feelings. If you lose yourself over there, then that means you lose the game."

"Ha! In your dreams blondie! Just you wait. Next time you see me, I'll be back here _with_ Usui."

Misaki gathered her belongings and headed to the door. Before she left however, she turned around and allowed a soft smile to slip onto her face.

"Thanks, Igarashi. Don't lose faith in me, okay? I'll be back."

With that, she disappeared into the winter wonderland outside. Igarashi still sat inside, eyes wide and pink blush lightly staining his cheeks. He quickly recovered and replaced his look of wonder with a smirk.

"I guess I'll just have to wait here then. Don't disappoint me."

**~!~**

**Ai(sighing):** So now that I finally managed to get rid of Kei and Hikari, we can get back on topic.

**Misaki: **How did the two of them even get in here?

**Ai: **No. Effing. Idea.

**Misaki:** Well it was still interesting nonetheless.

**Ai:** Yea… anyways, as I was saying, even though it was complete chaos up there, I still really like the idea of having Misaki and Usui answer questions, so thank you Sen. **(^_^)** If any of my other readers want to submit questions for Usui and Misaki to answer, please feel free to tell me in a review! I will pick the best questions for them to answer.

**Misaki:** Shouldn't you ask for our views on this topic before announcing?

**Ai:** No, not really. Review please!


	10. Chapter 10

**Ai: **Yay! I'm back! And let me just say, thanks for all the people who submitted questions! I couldn't have Usui and Misaki answer every one of them, but I wanted everyone to know that it was a really hard decision. Alright, on with the show! Misaki, you first. The following people (animefreak5253, ScarletLillies, and Claudime) wanted to know how much you love Usui.

**Misaki: **Why do I always get these kinds of questions?

**Ai:** Answer truthfully!

**Misaki:** Fine. I l-love Usui a lot okay? He's the most important person to me, and I w-won't lose him no matter what. That's why I'm going to England. I just can't bear watching him marrying someone else. There! I said it! Now leave me alone!

**Ai:** Woah. That was intense.

**Usui(smirking):** Misa-chan, I didn't know you felt that way.

**Ai:** Aw Usui don't torment the poor girl. She just had to admit her feelings to the whole world. Give her some time okay? Besides, you still have your question. **(^_^)** Dadam asks, "How would you react if you heard that Misaki had an affair with a guy exactly 20 minutes after you broke up with her five years ago?"

**Usui: **She wouldn't do that. Misa-chan loves me too much to do such a thing! But if that did happen, I would probably need to… get rid of this person. I won't tolerate anyone else having my Misaki.

**Ai:** That was a very scary aura you had there, Usui… hehe… well I guess we can move onto the chapter then. I don't own Maid-sama!

**Chapter 10:**

Monday came faster than expected. Within the blink of an eye, Misaki found herself at the airport. Usui had told her to find him and Cashlin at the terminal, but she didn't know if she wanted to meet them in the first place. Misaki couldn't say she hated her. In fact, the woman's personality was very nice. Perhaps shy at times, but she was definitely the kind that tries to please others and helps people in need. If the situation had been different, the two of them would have been great friends. Whatever the case, it was still awkward to be kind to Cashlin when her purpose for going to England was to try and cancel this wedding.

Still. Misaki was going to take a trip to England for the first time, so she figured that she should make the best of it. It was slightly nerve-wracking because Igarashi's words kept on returning to her. She didn't know what England was like, and she had no idea what to expect. None of that mattered anymore though; it was too late to back out now anyways.

Once she had finished check-in, Misaki walked to her terminal and scanned the crowd for that familiar mop of blonde hair. Almost immediately, she found what she was looking for. Usui was leaning against the wall looking bored as ever while Cashlin sat beside him, touching up on her make-up. As soon as the pair saw her, they rushed over.

Cashlin shrieked. "Ms. Ayuzawa! I'm so happy that you're traveling with us! I was surprised when Takumi told me you wanted to be a bridesmaid, and I am honored beyond belief. Thanks for doing this."

Misaki was surprised. It took her a second before realizing that that was the excuse Usui probably came up with. Whatever. The problem now was that Cashlin's outburst caused some people to look in their direction, and unfortunately, they recognized the small group.

_"Hey, isn't that Takumi Walker over there? And the woman! She's Misaki Ayuzawa from Yume Dress Designers!"_

_"Oh my goodness! It's them!"_

_"Quick! Let's take some pictures!"_

Cashlin turned to pout at Usui. "See Takumi? I knew we should have flew a private jet over!" The young CEO brushed of the whine and shrugged. He didn't really want to start an argument with his fiancé. Instead, he turned his attention to the dress designer.

"I hope you packed everything you need. Of course, we can always buy you clothes in England."

"No need," Misaki muttered as she tried to shield her eyes from the flashing of cameras. In the distance, she spotted people lining up waiting to board the plane. Not wanting to be bothered by the cameras, she made her way over to the line. Soon, she was relaxing in her first class seat.

"Are you sure you still want to do this?" Usui asked as he slid into the seat next to her. She gave a determined look and nodded her head.

"Yeah. I'm not worried about meeting your grandfather, but I_ am_ worried about Cashlin. Speaking of which, where is she?"

"She went to talk to the flight attendants. Something about asking for champagne to calm her nerves. And you'll be fine. Just stay in the dark until Grandfather cancels the wedding. Cashlin's going to be too busy with the wedding to think about other things."

"But, what will happen to her once the wedding is cancelled? I… I don't want her to suffer through a heartbreak or anything."

And there it was. The soft side of Misaki that wanted everyone to be happy. Truth be told, Usui had no idea what would happen to Cashlin once the wedding was repealed. Grandfather seemed to favor the girl, so she'll probably get a few million dollars or something. Just then, said person returned.

"This is terrible! The flight attendants said that they are still stocking up, and I won't be able to get my glass until everything is settled. But I need some or else my body will be upset."

Misaki held in a laugh as she listened to the complaint. Usui raised an eyebrow.

"Will you be okay?"

"I think so. It's just… I hate flying so much."

"Well I'm sure you'll be fine. If you need anything, I'll be beside you."

"Thank you Takumi. For being there." Cashlin said graciously. After taking in a deep breath, she recomposed herself and smiled. "Ms. Ayuzawa, would you mind bringing me my make-up bag? It's in my purse."

Misaki nodded and looked at the designer leopard print bag besides her. While she pulled out a bright red bag that she assumed to be the make-up bag, a magazine caught her eye. Cashlin noticed, and took the red bag while waving her manicured hand dismissively.

"Oh, that? You can read it if you want. Please make yourself comfortable! If you need anything from me, just ask."

"Thanks. You truly are a kind person, Cashlin."

Cashlin smiled even more warmly before applying yet another coat of lipstick. Usui closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep while Misaki read the magazine. She didn't know why the magazine appealed to her so much, but there was nothing else to do, so why not read it?

Surprisingly enough, the magazine was actually a political magazine. Misaki hadn't thought that someone like Cashlin would read those things, but apparently she did. While absentmindedly flipping through the pages, she suddenly saw an article that sparked her interest.

An old man sat in an office chair, looking straight at the readers. He could have been any old man, but this man's eyes were green. The same shade as Usui's. It was Grandfather. And indeed, the caption under the picture read 'The Old Walker Steps Down and the Young Walker Steps Up'. But besides all that, there was something very familiar about this man. Misaki felt like she's seen him before, but she just couldn't figure it out. Her eyes scanned the page greedily, and she finally figured out who this man was to her. A smile graced her lips. Misaki finally knew just whom she was dealing with.

**XXXX**

Around twelve hours later, the trio stepped out of the airport, all of them feeling tired and mildly sick. They were greeted by a thick crowd of paparazzi, all of them frantically taking pictures of the famous dress designer and the handsome CEO.

"It feels so good to be back! Japan was fun, but I do miss everyone." Cashlin exclaimed, now speaking in English while smiling at the cameras and waving. She led the way through the wall of reporters, her smile never faltering. Misaki on the other hand found the cameras annoying. She forced a smile, but avoided eye contact. Finally, the chaos was behind them. Everyone climbed into Usui's awaiting limo and groaned with exhaustion.

"Ms. Ayuzawa," Cashlin went back to her terrible Japanese, "since you're going to be a bridesmaid, you're going to live with Usui and I at the castle. Is that ok?"

"Oh, yes. You didn't need to go through all that trouble."

"It's nothing. I'm exhausted, and I have something to do tomorrow so I guess I'll see you some time tomorrow evening. If you need anything, you can tell the maids."

"Sure."

Misaki hoped she didn't sound too rude, but after a long and tiring day of travel, all she wanted to do was take a warm bath and go to sleep. Soon, the limo pulled into a large driveway. Misaki gaped at the sight that awaited her.

Sitting at the end of the driveway was the most beautiful castle she had ever seen. The outer walls were made out of creamy white limestone with green ivy covering it. There were also magnificent gardens all over the place, and they were filled with the largest varieties of flowers. The place looked like something that came out of a fairytale book.

"Ayuzawa," Usui said quietly as he nudged Misaki's arms, "we're here." She broke out of her trance and refocused her attention to the situation. Butlers have already come out to greet their master. They took the luggage into the house just as a few maids replaced them.

"Welcome home, sir, Miss Cashlin, and company. We hope your trip was enjoyable."

Usui nodded. "Will one of you show our guest to her room please?"

One maid stepped forward and bowed. "I will be honored, sir." She signaled for Misaki to follow, and the two of them entered the castle. Not surprisingly, the inside was even more glamorous. Chandeliers were hung everywhere, and ancient paintings adorned the walls.

They had already climbed three flights of stairs and taken several turns, and Misaki wondered how anyone could ever find their way around. At last, they arrived at one of the many guest rooms. Before she could even thank the maid, the woman had already curtsied and left. What a _wonderful_ person.

**XXXX**

It was almost dinnertime, and Misaki had been sitting in her room for almost five hours now. No one had come to get her, and she would have gone outside if it weren't for the fact that the castle was so maze-like.

_'They didn't… forget about me did they?' _The ringing of a phone broke the tranquility of the room. _'Guess not.'_

Misaki picked up the phone and held it to her ears.

"Misa-chan!"

"Usui?"

"How are you? Are you settling in alright?"

"Oh, yea. I'm doing just fine."

"Alright. Dinner should be on its way. Just remember, if you need anything, just call one of the maids. Of course, if you wanted to call me, I'd be very happy t-"

"I will _not_ be needing your perverted services, thank you very much. Is there anything else you wanted to tell me about?"

There was a short pause. "Yeah. I wanted to tell you that you can meet with Grandfather tomorrow afternoon at seven."

"Oh… I see. Um, thanks. For scheduling the meeting I mean."

Another short pause. "Ayuzawa, would you like to come explore England with me tomorrow?"

"What do you mean by "explore"?"

"As in you and I going to different places in England together."

"So you mean like a d-d-date?" Misaki swore her voice went one octave higher.

"Exactly."

"N-no! Definitely not! What about Cashlin?"

"You don't need to worry."

"Usui!"

"She's going to be shopping with her friends. Happy?"

"But even so…"

"Well what else are you going to do? Sit in your room for the whole day counting sheep?"

"I guess…"

"Then it's decided! I'll pick you up tomorrow morning at eight. Have a good night's sleep. Unless you want me to co-"

"No need!"

With that, Misaki slammed the phone back down and tried to calm herself. She was without a doubt blushing madly. If only Usui didn't have that effect on her. Oh who was she kidding? He'd always have that effect on her. She'd already tried to forget him for five years, and all it took was one kiss and she threw all that away.

"I guess I just love you too much, stupid Usui."

**~!~**

**Ai: **Yay! Done at last. Please consider this a late Valentines Day present!

**Usui: **But there was nothing Valentines Day about this chapter.

**Ai:** Whatever. But it's okay guys! Because I will have a nice sweet fluffy Usui and Misaki chapter next time!

**Usui:** I approve.

**Ai:** Of course you would. Now where could Misaki be?

**Usui:** Misa-chan! Come back!

**Ai:** Eh. She's probably dying in a corner from shame.

**Usui:** Well then I'll just have to change that now won't I?

**Ai:** _Don't_ rape her. We keep it PG-13 here okay?

**Usui(smirking):** Of course. Leave a review.


	11. Chapter 11

**Ai: **Okay, so I apologize in advance. **(T.T)**

**Misaki:** Why?

**Ai:** I have never written fluff in my life, so this chapter probably isn't as fluffy as some people had expected. Sorry!

**Misaki:** That's fine, Ai. You did your best, and that's all that matters.

**Ai:** Sure. I guess.

**Usui:** As long as I get to kiss Misa-chan, I'll be fine with the story.

**Ai:** You damn pervert. That's _all_ you _ever_ think about, isn't it?

**Usui:** What do you think, Misa-chan?

**Misaki:** Pervert.

**Ai:** And now, question time! Misaki, this is from 3You and Bitchiemoi. "If you could choose a boy, other than Usui to have kids with, who would it be?" Usui, you are not allowed to interrupt.

**Misaki:** What is it with these questions? Of course it's no one! I don't even think I'm ready for children yet. Besides, I already s-said that I l-l-loved Usui didn't I?

**Usui:** Now you're admitting your love for me openly? Misa-chan, I don't think I could b-

**Ai:** And now for Usui's question! This is from SapphiRubyCrys. "Do you want to be Misaki's butler?"

**Usui:** Why not? I'll get to be with my Misa-chan all day. **(^.^) **And I won't allow any other guy to look at her.

**Ai:** Getting kind of possessive there aren't we? I don't own the story!

**Chapter 11:**

Misaki stared at her wardrobe for a full minute before snatching a pair of warm jeans and a black turtleneck. A small quiver of excitement ran up and down her body. It had been a while since Usui took her out. Though she didn't want to admit it, she had really missed those dates. As for the date, Usui had said that he was going to take her out to explore England, but he hadn't specified where they'd be going, so she assumed that she dressed appropriately for the occasion. Once Misaki finished getting ready, she sat down and held up her fist in determination.

"Alright Misaki. You will not get distracted by that perverted outer spaced alien."

"Aw Misa-chan, were you thinking about me? I'm so touched."

"Usui! How the hell did you get in here?! Had it occurred to you that I may not have been dressed?!"

"All the better, Misa-chan! Besides, your door was unlocked."

"You p-pervert!"

Misaki threw a half-hearted punch in Usui's direction and he faked a pained look when her fist made impact with his shoulder. "That was a painful punch." he pouted. Misaki rolled her eyes.

"Where are you taking me today?"

He smirked. "That's a secret."

She slipped on a coat and shuffled out of the room. Usui came up behind her and leaned towards her ear.

"You look beautiful, Ayuzawa."

Misaki tensed up. She just knew that her face was turning red. So much for not getting distracted. "Y-you stupid perverted outer spaced alien!" Suddenly, the world became dark as what she thought to be a piece of cloth covered her eyes.

"H-hey! What do you think you're doing?!"

"Relax, Ayuzawa. I want this place to be a surprise."

"Fine. I'll wear this stupid blindfold. Don't you dare do anything weird, or I _swear_ I will personally chop your hands off!"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good."

**XXXX**

"A… lake?"

Misaki didn't know just how she felt at the moment. After leaving her room, Usui had blindfolded her, saying that the place they were going to was a surprise.

"So this is what you call 'exploring England'?"

Usui shrugged. "It's the holiday season. All the roads are jammed with cars so we would probably have spent half the day on the road."

"Well, what are we going to do here?"

He grinned as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Go ice skating of course."

"Ice skating? But I… I… Never mind. It's nothing."

Usui proceeded to pull out two pairs of ice skates from his bag. Finding a good tree, the two of them sat down and put the skates on. Usui was the first to get on the lake.

"Kaichou! Why are you still on the banks? Come on!"

Misaki looked at the lake and ever so carefully, half-walked half-slid over to where he was.

"This is a pretty big lake and the scenery is fantastic, so we can skate around." Usui said as he glanced around. Even though it was the middle of December and the trees were bare of any leaves, what he said was true. The snow was a beautiful white, coating everything and bringing a feel of tranquility and calmness. When the sunlight hit it, it even seemed to sparkle. The trees on the other hand, were a dark brown. There was nothing particularly extravagant about this place, but in some ways, Misaki thought that this lake was one of the most romantic places she had ever been to.

"Fine. Let's go then," she said determinedly. However, her feet didn't seem to agree. Misaki stood, frozen to the spot. Usui finally looked back.

"Misa-chan! I'm over here."

Still nothing. A smirk appeared on his face as realization hit him.

"Misa-chan, you don't know how to ice skate?"

That hit a nerve. "Sh-shut up! I-it's not my fault! Ice skates cost money, and we couldn't afford them, okay?"

Usui smiled. "I know. I was just a little surprised. It's all right. I'll teach you." He skated back to her and held out his hand. Misaki took it slowly, looking at its owner suspiciously. As soon as her hands slid into his, she felt a warm feeling spread through out her body. His hands were so familiar. Then, she realized that Usui was still waiting for her to move.

"W-what are you looking at?! Aren't you supposed to teach me?"

"Of course. Let's start slow. Just hold on to my hand and slide to me."

Misaki nodded, and stuck one foot out. Looks like she slid too far because the next thing she knew, she was sprawled out on the ground. Cursing out loud, Misaki picked herself up and tried again; this time with smaller slides.

"Yeah. You're doing it." Usui said with a laugh. Her eyes widened. He rarely laughed like this, all whole-heartedly and happy. It sounded so warm and sweet.

"Usui, you should laugh more often."

Said guy took a breath of December air. "There's not really anything that's worth laughing about anymore, kaichou."

"What do you mean?"

"My whole life is being controlled by my… family." the word was said with disgust. "I can't do anything about it, and I'll never be left alone by them."

"So you really don't want to be the CEO."

"Yes. Not a day goes by when I don't think about leaving. I just want to go back to Japan."

"Oh." That was all Misaki could say. She had never thought that Usui would have hated his position so much. It was probably expectable though, since no one would want to be forced to accept a career they didn't want. As if sensing her distress, Usui tried to lighten the mood.

"But never mind that. We've barely started our date yet. Let's try skating again."

A nice blush appeared on Misaki's face.

"What date?! I never agreed to this!"

And for the second time that day, Usui let out a warming laugh.

"Be quiet!" Misaki said angrily as she attempted to skate away. However, he grabbed her arms and pulled back, causing her to lose her balance. She toppled back into the blondie and the two of them fell down.

When Misaki opened her eyes again, she realized what position they were in. Usui was beneath her, his arms wrapped securely around her waist. Their faces were only inches apart. A light blush spread across Usui's face, his eyes were wide and full of emotion. She looked into those green irises and her breath hitched in her throat. They were too close.

Misaki tried to get up hastily, only to be brought back down by those strong arms. One arm secured her in place while the other one brought her face closer. Usui's kiss was demanding and full of need. He bit down softly on those swollen lips and demanded for more. Tired of fighting, Misaki finally complied. She let herself sink into him and moved her own lips in order to satisfy the hunger she felt. To think that years ago, they did this on a daily basis.

When the two pulled apart, both were flustered and their faces pink. Usui spoke first. "I didn't think you had it in you, Misa-chan."

"N-not one word! Y-you were the o-one who forced this on me! I had no choice but to k-kiss you."

"You're so sly, Ayuzawa." he said with a chuckle.

**XXXX**

After ice-skating, Usui planned for them to eat lunch at a nice local restaurant. Since the place resembled Maid Latte so much, he used to come here whenever he missed Misaki.

Though the food was good, but he and Misaki were both too exhausted from ice-skating to really appreciate it. They finished the meal rather quickly and paid for it. Then, Usui called for a carriage from the castle.

"What do we need a carriage for?" Misaki asked sleepily. She was definitely still jet-lagged. After all, they had only been in England for one day and it was around eleven back in Japan.

"Well, judging by your appearance, I don't think you can really walk anymore. I think we could just call a carriage and take a nice ride around this place."

No sooner had he said that, a grand horse drawn carriage pulled up in front of them. Usui helped Misaki up before climbing into the other seat besides her.

"Sir, where would you like to go?" the driver asked politely.

"Just take us on a little tour of the city."

"Yes sir."

After the carriage started moving again, Misaki started to rummage around in her bag. Moments later, she pulled out a plastic bag filled with suspicious brownish cubes. Usui's eyebrows shot up.

"It's fudge," she explained groggily. "I couldn't sleep this morning so I went to the kitchen and made this."

"You found the kitchen?"

"I asked one of the maids to show me. I uh… I thought maybe we could eat this is we got hungry… but… never mind-"

"Ayuzawa, how many times do I have to tell you? If you made it, I'll eat it."

"Thank goodness," Misaki yawned, "I had… so much… fun… today." She closed her eyes and allowed her body to relax. She leaned her head onto Usui's shoulder and drifted off to sleep.

Usui smiled at the sleeping girl. He took a cube of fudge and bit down eagerly, only to be rewarded by a strong taste of salt and an aching jaw.

_'She used salt instead of sugar and burnt it, didn't she?' _he thought to himself. Almost instantly, he thought back to that day in high school when Misaki decided to make rice balls as snack for the boys once they cleaned up the locker rooms. She was _still_ an awful cook.

"Ayuzawa, you haven't changed a bit." Usui said to her sleeping figure. He then called out to the carriage driver. "Thomas, change of plans. Bring us back to the castle."

Kissing the top of her head, he took her hands in his and held her close. Before falling asleep, Usui let himself say one more thing.

"I'm never letting you go again."

**~!~**

**Ai:** And so, that was my attempt-at-fluff chapter.

**Usui:** Thanks for the kiss.

**Misaki:** S-shut up! I do-don't want to be reminded again.

**Ai:** Well that's that. Just a sneak peek of the next chapter, Misaki finally gets to meet Grandfather!

**Misaki:** Really? Wow. I'm not sure if I'm all that ready.

**Usui:** You'll do fine, Ayuzawa.

**Ai:** Yup, I'm sure you will! But for now, if any one of you weren't happy with the fluff, please feel free to tell me. I will take all criticism into account, and hopefully write a better one next time.

**Usui:** There's going to be another fluff?

**Ai:** We'll see, Usui. We'll see.

**Misaki:** Review!


	12. Chapter 12

**Ai: **Yay! I'm back.

**Misaki: **Where were you?

**Ai: **No where really. I just had no energy to write.

**Misaki: **Oh.

**Usui:** She never has energy to write. Perhaps I can take over the story for you, Ai?

**Ai:** If I let you do that, then all the chapters will be filled with you harassing Misaki.

**Misaki:** Exactly!

**Usui:** So that's a no?

**Ai: **Yes.

**Usui:** It's a yes?

**Ai: **No, It's a yes to a no.

**Usui:** So it's a yes?

**Ai:** Usui! You know what I mean. Gosh. I don't own Maid-sama people.

**Chapter 12:**

Misaki woke to someone shaking her gently. It was Usui.

"Usui? What's happening?"

"We're here. I mean, if you want to continue to sleep on my shoulder, that's fine too. Misa-chan looks so cute when sleeping!"

She gave a horrified look as she realized she fell asleep on his shoulder. And the worst part was, she enjoyed it. It had been a long time since she'd slept so soundly and happily. It was because Usui was there, and Misaki knew that she wasn't ever going to let him go.

"Anyways," Usui said, interrupted her thoughts, "I would like to remind you that your meeting with Grandfather is in about an hour."

She cursed under her breath. The meeting had completely slipped from her mind. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Misaki jumped out of the carriage and thanked both Usui at the driver before running into the castle. A maid came to greet her instantly.

"I'll show you to your room."

Misaki nodded gratefully and followed the maid through a familiar path. At last, they reached her room. She burst in immediately and decided to take a shower first.

"How could I have forgotten?!" Misaki groaned. For reasons she didn't know, this meeting brought more butterflies in her stomach than anything she's done before.

Slipping out of her clothes, Misaki jumped into the shower in hopes of calming herself.

"The day is finally here. I finally get to meet him. I definitely won't screw this meeting up!"

**XXXX**

Forty-five minutes later, she stood in front of an expensive wooden door biting her lips nervously. After the shower, Misaki decided to wear a simple white dress before heading out to find Grandfather's office. Miraculously, she found it without getting help from the maids or getting lost. She was still fifteen minutes early though, so she decided to do some calming exercises. Just as she was about to start, she was interrupted.

"Misaki, are you sure you don't want me to go in with you?"

"I'm sure, Usui."

There was a moment of hesitation. "Fine. I'll trust you on this one. Just remember, don't do anything stupid."

"I know."

"If he does anything to you…"

Usui's eyes hardened with hatred. He didn't even need to finish the sentence. Misaki nodded and took on of his shaking hands into hers.

"Takumi… it'll be fine. I will come out unharmed."

Both people were shocked. No one had expected Misaki to call Usui by his first name. In a split second, she was crushed in his embrace.

"I love you, Misaki."

She giggled.

"What are we doing? We're acting like we're never going to see each other or something."

"I just…have a bad feeling about this."

"What's the worst that can happen? He says no. If that's the case, we'll just try to think of something else."

Usui nodded, although he was still a little uncertain. He gave Misaki one last hug before walking away. After Usui was no longer in sight, she looked back at the doors.

"Alright. I can do this."

Taking a deep breath, she pushed it open and stepped inside. An old man was standing about fifteen feet away, looking out a window. He turned around slowly and put on a tight smile.

"I was informed that someone needed to talk to me, but I never thought that it'd be you, Misaki Ayuzawa."

The way he said "Ayuzawa" with distaste didn't go unnoticed.

"And I never thought I'd see you in person, Poppa."

The old man was surprised. His eyes betrayed him for only a second before returning to their cold, icy stare. Misaki went on.

"So you know."

"My mother told stories about you, and even showed us a picture once."

"Minako."

"I'm not here to play games."

"And what are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"On the contrary, I don't."

"Fine. Let me spell it out for you then. You were Mom's godfather, but you didn't approve of her marriage with my father. And so, you framed my dad and made it look like he had a huge debt, didn't you? And as if that wasn't enough, now you're forcing Usui to marry Cashlin even though you know he doesn't want to. I don't know why you have such a grudge towards my family, but I won't tolerate this any longer!"

There was a minute of silence as Grandfather processed everything. Then, he burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing about?"

"Oh Misaki. I don't understand why you're a dress designer. You would be better off as a storyteller. Me framing your father? What a story you got there."

"Don't pretend you didn't do it!"

Now he grew serious.

"It's true that I'm forcing Usui to marry Cashlin, yes. However, I can promise you that I did not frame your father."

"I don't care for your promises. It doesn't matter anyways. My family debt has been paid off, and Dad is going to come home next month. I will put all that behind me. The thing I will not let go of is the wedding."

"So, you have come to beg me to cancel his engagement?"

"I don't beg, Poppa. I came to force."

"Oh? And how will you force me?"

"You don't need to worry about that."

"Misaki. I'm sure you're a smart girl. And if you are a smart girl, then you would know that you can't win against me. This business is very important to England, and I have many important connections around the world. I can practically do anything. I mean, you wouldn't want your dear friend Maka to disappear would you? Or perhaps that Sakura girl? Shizuko's not a bad choice either."

Misaki's eyes widened in horror. She felt her insides freeze up as she forced herself to speak. "You wouldn't."

"Would you like to try me?"

"You want us to suffer don't you? I don't know why you're so angry that my mother married my father. Was it really serious that you had to destroy my life?"

"You know nothing!"

Both sides were glaring at the other, trying to control their temper. Never in her life had Misaki wanted to strangle someone so badly.

"Minako was supposed to marry Edward! It was arranged from the day she was born. She grew up knowing that too, and I became her second father. Of course she just had to meet that stupid Sakuya Ayuzawa. She broke off the engagement!"

That was very unexpected. Minako had loved to tell the two sisters about her godfather, and how he disliked her for marrying someone else. At the time, Misaki thought that her mom's godfather didn't like her because she married a man of a lower class. Only now did she realize what her mom meant by "someone else". Now that the truth was spelled out in front of her, Misaki couldn't believe the bizarre relationship between her and Usui's families.

"So you decided to make the next generation pay the price?"

"Don't try and think you know me, girl! I have seen terrible things and I have experienced so much more than you. If you think you can just waltz in here and I would answer to all your calls, you're wrong." he snarled.

Misaki swore this man had no heart. He wasn't at all like the stories her mom told. He used to be nice and caring back then, or so says her mom.

"Well you know what?" she replied hotly. "I may not be as powerful as you, but I'm no longer the little poor girl I was. I'll protect the one I love from you, no matter what it takes. Including Usui."

"Do whatever you want. But let me just bring up a point. You have told me what you wanted, but I haven't had the chance to tell you what I want."

Misaki narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She didn't really like where this was headed. "Well what do you want?"

Grandfather scrutinized the girl in front of him. She was determined; he could see it in her eyes. He could also see the pain of betrayal and practically raising the family from a young age. She was a good person, and she reminded him of Minako. They were so similar. From looks to personality. Minako had truly been the daughter he never had. Never had he thought that one day, she would run off and break her ties with him in the blink of an eye. Nevertheless, he knew what he wanted Misaki to do.

"I want you to marry Gerald."

**~!~**

**Ai: **I gotta say, that was an epic cliff-hanger!

**Usui: **Your readers are going to hate you.

**Ai: **Hey, I made Misaki call you by your first name. Don't make me take it back.

**Misaki: **What do you mean _you_ will take it back? I already took it back!

**Ai: **Psh. Whatever. Oh, and Usui, if Misaki's mother was supposed to marry your... step-dad? Well whatever you call him... doesn't that make Misaki like your sister of some sort?

**Misaki: **You were the one who wrote the story! And that's just not right.

**Usui:** Aww, but Misa-chan, I would still love you. Even if you were my sister. And I don't mean sibling love either...

**Ai: **Ew ew ew ew _EW_!

**Misaki(facepalm): **Just review. **(-_-)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Ai:** Hey guys. I would have updated sooner, but I just had a bitter dispute with my best friend. **(T.T)**

**Misaki: **Sorry to hear that. I hope you guys make it out okay.

**Ai: **Yea. Thanks Misaki. But enough about me. On with the chapter!

**Usui: **Ai, your forgetting about this time's question.

**Ai: **Oh right! Thanks for reminding me. This time's question was submitted by Lawliettee H. Saphiree. The question is: "If you were ina situation of life or death, Usui would you kill Misaki or yourself, or both?" This question also applies to Misaki.

**Usui:** Well it really depends on the situation. If there was anyway to save Misaki, I would do whatever it takes. If there was absolutely no way for us to survive, then yes. I would probably… end her suffering as soon as possible.

**Misaki:** Same goes for me.

**Ai:** Well that was fast!

**Misaki: **Oh yea… Suzuna sent over some square watermelons. Would you guys like some?

**Ai: **Square… watermelons?

**Usui: **You didn't know that Japan makes square watermelon?

**Ai: **No. Should I?

**Usui: **Ai doesn't own us because she is too unintelligent.

**Chapter 13**

Misaki couldn't help but let out a couple suppressed chuckles. She never knew thought of Grandfather as one to joke around. But then again, his face was completely serious. He was one hundred percent serious.

"I don't know what you want me to say. I mean, I'm pretty sure you know what my answer will be."

Grandfather scowled. "You should feel lucky that I'm giving you this offer."

"I would feel lucky if you let Usui be happy."

There was a short pause. Grandfather considered what Misaki had said. "How about this- I will offer you another proposal. If you marry Gerald, then I will let Usui go. He will be free to do whatever he wants without the family interfering."

"You…"

"You know this is what he wants Misaki."

"Were you spying on us?!"

Misaki's face heated up as she thought about the possibility of Grandfather watching them kiss.

"Of course not. I have other things to do besides watching the two of you do whatever it is young people do today. But that's besides the point. What do you say to the offer?"

"I don't know."

"Misaki. You love him don't you?"

"Yes," she agreed without hesitation.

"And you also know about how miserable he is being in England."

"Yeah…" Misaki wasn't sure where this was headed, but she was beginning to realize what this offer would really do.

"So then why don't you save him?" Grandfather asked. "All you need is to marry Gerald. Once you do that, Usui will be free to walk away from the company. He may even be able to escape this marriage. After all, maybe Cashlin will abandon him once she sees that he has no more money."

"Fine. Let's say I did marry Gerald. Who would run the company then? And I know Cashlin well enough to know that she really loves Usui from the bottom of her heart, so she won't leave him. Then there's the fact that Gerald doesn't like me. Nor do I like him. Usui's not going to agree with all of this either."

"Gerald's not as weak as everyone says he is you know. He can still last a while before having to retire. I am also still here in case something happens. And let's not forget about Edward. Usui may be the best person to run the company, but we can do without him. As for Cashlin, I'm sure Usui can handle her once he leaves the company. After all, he can be very good at hiding. Without all the paparazzi around to take pictures of him and whatnot, he can easily escape from her grasp. You also don't need to worry about Gerald. He may not like you a lot, but he knows what his duty is. He will marry you and produce an heir because that is for the best interest of the company. Lastly, to stop Usui from interfering, just ignore him and tell him you don't love him anymore. He will leave you alone if he thinks you are happy."

So that was it then. Once she agrees to this, she will not be able see Usui again. Misaki wasn't sure if she really wanted this for both Usui and herself. She knew Usui wanted this. He had said so himself. However, she really didn't find the idea of marrying Gerald attractive. There was no way she would… produce an heir with him. Misaki refused to speak. She simply didn't know what to say. Grandfather grew impatient.

"Seriously, girl. How long does it take for you to give me an answer?"

"Are you really going to let me refuse the offer?"

"Of course you can refuse. But if you do, you will just have to watch Usui marry Cashlin and live a life he hates."

"I… can… can you give me sometime to decide? There's no way I can tell you my decision now."

"Fine. You have till six o'clock tomorrow afternoon to give me your final answer. You may leave now."

Misaki didn't need to be told twice. She turned around quickly and left the office before Grandfather could even get another sentence in. This meeting started out with confusion, and ended in even greater confusion. What was she supposed to do? It wasn't like she could go talk to Usui about this. The next person that came to mind was Maka. Misaki started to walk back to her room, hoping that the telephone in the room will allow calls to Japan. On her way, she passed a group of women. From their clothing, Misaki concluded that they were castle maids. The group was huddled in a corner, undoubtedly gossiping about the latest news. She would have walked passed them without a second glance if it weren't for the fact that some of this gossip involved Usui and her.

_"I still can't believe Sir Takumi brought back that Japanese lady with him!"_

_"I know, right? She doesn't even fit in here. What's so special about her anyways? I mean…she does remind me of that dress designer, Misaki Ayuzawa. But it couldn't be her. Ms. Ayuzawa speaks English and is so much more sophisticated."_

_"Perhaps the sir is cheating on Miss Cashlin? After all, why else would they bring back a non-English speaking girl?"_

_"You really think there's an affair going on?"_

_"Well, why not? His mother had an affair with his father didn't she? It must run in the family blood."_

_"I guess so. Well, whatever the case, it's still true that Sir Takumi isn't the rightful heir to the company. He'll never receive the amount of respect his Grandfather and Sir Gerald has. I pity him."_

The more the maids spoke, the angrier Misaki grew. It didn't matter if the maids talked about her. She could care less. It was how badly they spoke about Usui that made her want to punch a wall. They were so ignorant and shallow. With an angry huff, Misaki stormed over to the women and cleared her throat to gain their attention.

"Why, hello ladies," she said in perfect English without a trace of an accent. "I couldn't help but overhear your gossip about Sir Takumi and I. See, I don't have any problem with you talking about me, but I won't tolerate any trash about Sir Takumi. Let me just clarify that I am not a mistress. I'm merely here to design Miss Cashlin's dress for the wedding. Sir Takumi is a very honorable person, and no matter what his parents did or didn't do, I'm sure he will do what's right. Finally, I would like to remind you that as of the moment, if it wasn't for Sir Takumi, all of you wouldn't have a job here. He's the only one keeping the company going, and I'm sure that even if you guys can't respect him for saving your jobs, there are tons of people in the world who do. Please get your facts straight next time."

Feeling a lot better about the day, Misaki smirked at the chagrined and bug-eyed expressions on the faces of the maids. They were all speechless and slowly looked down in embarrassment. Before getting back to the hallway leading to her room, Misaki gave a small curtsy.

"By the way, please feel free to call me Misaki or Ms. Ayuzawa. Whichever one is fine, really. Have a nice day."

There were gasps of amazement and surprise. However, she ignored all that since she really did need to call Maka.

_'What should I do?'_

**XXXX**

Finally back in her room, Misaki allowed herself to relax and replay the events that had happened. She was now really considering accepting Grandfather's offer. The incident with the maids allowed her to see that there really wasn't anyone who appreciated Usui's work. Because of his background, he will always be looked at as a mistake. No one deserved to live such a miserable life.

Misaki picked up the telephone and dialed Maka's number. Despite the complex procedures, the call finally made its way through. Maka picked up on the fourth ring.

"Hello?" she sounded tired and grumpy.

"Maka? It's me, Misaki."

"Misaki? What the hell? I know you're my boss and all, but seriously? It's four-thirty in the morning! Four-thirty!"

"I know it's early, but I really need to talk."

After a short pause, Maka calmed herself down. "Alright then. Tell me what's going on."

"Well you already know that I'm in England with Usui. The thing is, I wanted to come here to ask his grandfather to cancel his wedding with Cashlin. The problem is, the only solution Grandfather is offering me is to marry Gerald. I do-"

"Wait a minute… who's Gerald?"

"Usui's half brother. He's…sick and they don't think he can live till old age. That's why the family is forcing Usui to take over the business."

"I see. So basically this Grandfather guys tells you that if you marry Gerald, then Usui doesn't have to marry Cashlin?"

"No, not just that. He's also going to allow Usui to leave the company. It may not sound like much, but he really hates the company."

"I see. But wait a minute…what's going to happen to the company if Usui leaves?"

"Basically, What Grandfather told me is that if Usui leaves, then he himself, Gerald, and Gerald's dad will take over. I will marry Gerald and… produce an heir with him. I will also need to tell Usui that I don't love him."

"What kind of deal is that?"

"It's not the best deal, but it is something. I really don't know if I should agree to this or not."

"Well first of all, do you really think that if you agreed to this then you can keep your end of the deal? Will you really be able to tell Usui that you don't love him and keep that lie up?"

"If I agree to this, then I'm pretty sure I can keep up the lie. That's the problem though, Maka. I don't know if I want to do this."

"Then tell me this. Why do you have doubts on refusing the deal?"

"Whenever I think about saying no, I always think about how miserable Usui will be. The family is just using him. No one appreciates his work, so what's the point of doing all this work? Besides, Usui was always there for me before. No matter what trouble I was in, he would come and save me. It's time for me to stand up for myself and save him too."

"Alright. I think I know what you should do. Based on everything you just told me, I think you should say yes."

"Give me your reasoning?"

"For one, I agree with you. If no one can appreciate Usui's work, then he should stop wasting his life doing this shit. Also, this may be the only chance he ever gets to break free from the company and the family. Finally, if you agree to the deal, then you would be saving Usui. I know how much you hate being weak and owing people. Either way, you do what you think is the right thing. No matter what happens, I have your back, okay?"

"Yeah. Got it."

"Good. Now I need to catch some more sleep so I can take care of your company okay? Call me tomorrow morning to tell me how everything goes. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye."

Misaki took a deep breath. She was really going to do it. A short while later, she was once again back inside Grandfather's office. The old man didn't seem one bit surprised to see her back so soon.

"Have you made your decision already?"

"I have. But before just want to ask one last thing."

"Go ahead."

"If I agree, you promise that you will let Usui leave the company safe and sound without any more obligations to the company? And you won't force him to marry Cashlin either, right?"

"Yes, I promise that Usui will be able to leave the company unharmed and he will never see me or hear from me ever again." There was no trace of lying in Grandfather's voice.

"Good. In that case, I would like to marry Gerald."

**~!~**

**Ai: **Please don't hate me for not including Usui in the chapter and for making Misaki agree to the marriage!

**Usui:** Ai…

**Ai: **Don't kill me! I promise Usui will make an appearance like in the next two chapters.

**Misaki: **I suppose you tried your best to write this chapter huh?

**Ai: **I really did.

**Usui:** Fine. I'll be waiting for the next chapter.

**Ai: **Great! So uh... how exactly do you make a square watermelon?

**Usui: **You're still on that topic?

**Misaki: **Well, she doesn't live in Japan, so I guess she's never saw one before. It's interesting to her.

**Usui: **I know something interesting. Misa-chan, I hear that some women don't wear underwear. Do you?

**Misaki: **Where the heck did you hear that from?!

**Usui: **Misa-chan, you didn't deny it!

**Ai: **Please review, everyone. And Misaki, we need to go underwear shopping.

**Misaki: **I'm already wearing them!


	14. Chapter 14

**Ai:** Sorry for not updating in so long, but I just finished a test and now I feel like really relieved.

**Usui:** Cool. Is school difficult for you?

**Ai:** Not for you maybe… but for me yes.

**Misaki:** Studying and school are important. Although I do study a little too much sometimes…

**Ai:** Aha! Misaki! You finally admitted it! But anyways, I have some happy news for everyone! Well… just exciting for me actually.

**Misaki:** What is it?

**Ai:** So for my old readers who were here when I was trying to decide whether or not to drop this story, this current chapter is the last chapter you all read before I revised the whole thing. However, the next chapter, chapter 15, is a completely new chapter that has never been released. **(^_^) **

**Misaki:** That's great! You're finally writing a new chapter!

**Ai:** Haha! This must be so confusing for my new readers. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, please just disregard everything I just said and continue reading the story!

**Usui: **So can we move on with the story?

**Ai:** Totally irrelevant, but how do people wink?

**Usui:** Alright… moving on then. Ai doesn't own us.

**Chapter 14:**

Right after Misaki agreed to the marriage, Grandfather began the wedding planning. There was not a day when she wouldn't see wedding planners scurrying about, ordering the poor maids around. This morning however, there was no sound of people running all over the place. It was unnaturally quiet. Only until Misaki looked at the calendar did she realize the reason. It was December 25, Christmas Day.

She sat up slowly and glanced at the window by her bed. Everything outside was completely white. It had snowed a couple days before, but since everyone had been playing in that snow, it became a giant dirty mess. It was nice to see fresh snow. Especially on Christmas Day. A knock on the door broke the tranquility in the room. Assuming that it was just a maid delivering breakfast, Misaki climbed out of bed and opened the door without a second thought. She was then shocked find herself face-to-face with not a maid, but Usui.

After she agreed to the marriage, Misaki had been avoiding him at all costs. She needed to accept the fact that Usui would no longer be in her life anymore. That and also the fact that she didn't want to lie to him anymore. Usui was going to find out sooner or later.

For the longest time, the two just stood in their spots and stared at each other. Usui's eyes raked up and down Misaki's figure. A sly smirk appeared on his face.

"Did Misa-chan dress up just for me?"

Looking down at her current outfit to see what Usui was talking about; she realized that she was wearing a small, tight, and sheer nightgown. Smacking herself for not grabbing a jacket, Misaki tried to explain.

"Sh-shut up! It's not like I wanted to wear this! I just don't have anything else."

And it was the only thing she could wear. After Grandfather saw her clothing choices, he replaced her entire wardrobe with "more acceptable" clothing, "fit for a Walker Lady" as he had put it. The "more acceptable" clothing consisted of countless tight, revealing dresses, and an endless supply of lingerie.

Usui was still staring at her, and Misaki grew impatient.

"What?"

"Misaki."

His tone took her by surprise. It was serious, and all traces of playfulness from before disappeared. There was something about his face, and it looked… hungry.

"Y-yes?"

Then, as quickly as it came, the seriousness was gone. It was replaced by a charming smile that Misaki hadn't seen since high school

"It's Christmas," he said.

"I know that. You don't have to remind me."

"So come with me."

"Where? Everything is closed."

"Just trust me."

Misaki considered her choices, but finally decided to turn the offer down. She had already succeeded in avoiding Usui for this long. It wasn't worth starting all over.

"I'm sorry, I have something I need to attend to."

"It's Christmas Day."

"Thank you for reminding me."

With a sigh of defeat, Usui looked away, slightly annoyed and hurt. Then, he turned around, kissed Misaki's cheek, and leaned towards her ear. "Merry Christmas." Unable to think of a reply, Misaki just stood there like a statue as she watched the blondie walk away. Finally, she gained control of her body and closed the door. Gerald often walked down this hallway in the mornings, and she did not want him to also see her in this "nightgown".

Although she turned down Usui's offer to leave the castle, Misaki realized that she hasn't been outside the castle grounds for a long time now. Everyday, she had to "train" to become a suitable wife for Gerald. It was stressful business, since most of the training involved the two of them being locked up in a room so that they could "warm up" to each other. Seeing that both of them hated the other, the fact that they both came out of training alive was a miracle. That aside, it probably was time that she went outside again.

"Well, I don't have any training today, so I might as well enjoy myself."

Reaching underneath the bed, Misaki pulled out a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, and a nice warm coat. They were the only casual pieces of clothing that were saved from Grandfather's wrath. She quickly slipped them on and combed through her hair a couple times, satisfied with the end result. Now all she had to do was decide where to go. Despite the fact that Misaki had been living in London for two weeks already, she realized that she didn't even know what the streets even looked like. This was a great opportunity to get to know London.

**XXXX**

Sneaking out of the castle was actually quite easy. There were fewer guards than usual, and Misaki with her petite figure easily was able to slip through a large crack in the walls surrounding the garden. After escaping the castle, she made her way towards the town that Usui had taken her to. It took a while of walking to get there, but it all paid off when she saw the sight that greeted her.

Though all the stores and restaurants were closed, there were lots of people wandering around outside and enjoying the snowy weather. All over town, the shrieking laughter of the children could be heard. Though the sight was heart-warming, Misaki wasn't all that interested in staying. She wanted to go somewhere quieter, where she could sit down and think. The lake immediately came into mind. The problem was, she didn't know how to get there exactly.

For the hour or so, Misaki went around the city trying to find the little lake. What were the odds that no one else seemed to know about the lake? When she asked them, they all shrugged and went on their way. Finally however, she found a little patch of forest that clearly had a trail going through it. Misaki wasn't sure where this would lead her, but at this point, anything would do. And so, she followed the trail deeper into the forest. Since all the leaves had fallen, it was easy for her to see that beyond the ebony trunks of the trees was a small lake. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth. This place wasn't where Usui had taken her, but it was probably the same lake. Just a little more upstream.

Tired from all that walking, Misaki collapsed onto the bank and took a deep breath. It had been a long time since she was allowed enjoy a snowy day without worrying about rent, heat, and food. It also felt good to be free. Free from worry; free from the castle. Now she understood why Usui hated the lifestyle there. After a while, it started to suffocate you.

A noise coming from the forest behind Misaki brought her out of her thoughts. She turned around and standing there was a slender girl that looked nineteen or so. She had dark brown hair that was cut short and a pair of greyish blue eyes. Her rosy lips were open with surprise.

"Oh I'm sorry! I hadn't realized there was someone else here," the girl apologized.

"No it's okay! I hope I'm not trespassing or anything…"

"Not at all. This is a public lake. It's just that most people like to stay more downstream. It's not common for me to find anyone here."

"I see." Misaki relaxed a little. Suddenly, an idea struck her. "If you're going to stay here, could I possibly join you for the rest of the afternoon? I'm new here and I have absolutely no idea what to do or where to go."

The girl was surprised at first, but then her expression changed to one of happiness. Misaki decided that she liked this stranger, even if they only just met. This girl was so amiable, and she wasn't like the other ladies that came to the castle. Those women were all fake, from their personality to their appearance. This girl however, was normal.

"Sure! I'd love to have you with me. If you don't mind me asking, if you're new here, then where are you from? Where are you staying?"

"I'm from Japan," Misaki answered immediately. "I'm staying in the Raven Castle."

"Are you…Miss Misaki Ayuzawa by any chance?!" she gasped.

"Yes, I am! How did you know?"

"You see, I work at the castle and lately there has been much chatter between the staff saying that the Misaki Ayuzawa had come to live in the castle. You can't even imagine how excited I was! I love your designs so much!" the maid exclaimed in a giant tumble of words.

"Oh, well I'm glad you like my designs."

"Although I have to say Ms. Ayuzawa, I hadn't expected you to be able to speak any English, much less this well."

"Thank you. I took lessons in Japan." Misaki held back a smirk. It was pretty amusing to find people surprised by the fact that she spoke fluent English. Nowadays, practically every big business owner knew English; she was no exception. Still, she had to thank Igarashi for taking time to teach her.

"Well now that you know who I am, could you tell me your name?"

"Oh! Right. Sorry. I'm Alice."

"Nice to meet you," Misaki smiled. "By the way, what kind of work do you do for the castle? I mean you look like you should be in college."

"Oh that. Well actually, my family is having…financial problems," she said slowly. "So, um, I decided to come out and look for a job instead of going to school. I work as Mr. Gerald's personal maid."

"Gerald's…personal…maid?"

"Yup. I'm sure you're familiar with Mr. Gerald's sickness. He often needs assistance for simple tasks, and that's what I'm here for. I stay with him 24/7 and attend to his needs."

"Is it…nice to work for Gerald?"

Misaki tried her best not to scowl or scrunch up her face in disgust. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like for Alice to be attending to his every need. However, she was totally thrown off guard at the girl's answer.

"Oh yes! It's actually really nice. Mr. Gerald is very kind to me. In fact, he's a very sweet and gentle person overall. Which is why I think I'm so lucky."

The Gerald Misaki knew was most definitely not kind, sweet, and gentle. He was the opposite; sly, spiteful, and cold.

"You're not serious, are you?"

"I mean, he is a rather moody person, but once you get to know him, he's…different. All his life, Mr. Gerald has suffered from diseases that were forced upon him. He never got to do the things other people his age got to do, and it really made him feel terrible about himself. Once you understand his history, it's hard to hate him."

"What do you mean by 'diseases that were forced upon him'?"

"Oh. You don't know?"

"Know what?"

"I'm not sure if it's in my place to tell you this, but Mr. Gerald's diseases... they exist because his parents were first cousins."

Misaki knew in the back of her mind that Alice was telling the truth, but she just couldn't believe it. This meant that Usui's mother's first marriage was…incestuous?

"I… I didn't know that about Gerald…"

Alice shrugged. "Not many people do. Just a select few in the castle and me. After all, incestuous marriages are scandalous now. The Walkers wouldn't want this to get out."

"Huh. Well I guess that explains a lot," Misaki said after finally regaining her composure. "Well Alice, it's getting kind of late and I'm a little hungry, so I think I'm going to go back to the castle now."

"Oh! You're leaving now?"

"Yeah. It was fun talking to you though. I hope I get to see you around in the castle."

"Oh definitely! Do you need me to walk you back?"

"No thanks. I think I know the way."

"Sure. See you then!"

Misaki waves one last goodbye before heading back to the castle as fast as she could. There was just something unsettling about this new discovery. Just like Alice had said, incest equals scandal. If that's the case, then why did Grandfather allow this to happen? It was his daughter after all. And besides, she was the one marrying Gerald, so she should have been told about this matter. Grandfather was hiding something, and Misaki was determined to find out what it was.

"What else are you hiding from us, _Grandfather_?"

**XXXX**

Misaki stared at the wrapped package sitting neatly on her perfectly made bed. It was waiting for her when she came back, and attached was a little note.

Misaki thought hard about who the sender of this present could be, and decided it was either Grandfather, Gerald, or Usui. Slowly, she removed the note and opened it. As it turns out, it was Usui.

_Misaki, I hope you like the present. Too bad we couldn't have spent more time together. I hope your first Christmas in England was fun. See you around._

_- Usui_

_P.S. I hope you use it well~_

"Use it well?" Misaki asked out loud, puzzled. Though she was happy to have received a gift from Usui, she also felt guilty about it since she hadn't gotten him anything in return. Shaking these thoughts away, she opened the package carefully and pulled out a warm scarf. It was a lovely shade of blue, reminding Misaki of the time when Usui had given her his scarf after saving her from the Idiot Trio. Something at the end of the scarf caught her attention. Sewn into the scarf were the words "To Misaki Usui".

"You idiot," she said with a sad smile. "Always keeping your hopes up no matter what. Except this time, we've really lost."

Pushing her negative emotions aside, Misaki unraveled the scarf and just as she was about to put it on, another significantly smaller package tumbled out from inside the scarf. Upon closer inspection, she discovered that it was actually a pack of underwear. Lacy see-through underwear to be specific.

"So that's what he meant by 'use it well'," Misaki said through gritted teeth. She scowled at the underwear before tossing them on top of the wardrobe with the other pieces of clothing she never intended to wear.

"I totally should have seen this coming," she grumbled again, but her face softened. "Thanks anyways, Usui. I hope you have a good Christmas too."

**~!~**

**Ai: **I apologize if this chapter was very crappy. It was a rushed chapter since I hadn't updated in a while. I promise though, when I have free time, I'll go back and edit it.

**Usui:** You left me out of this chapter...

**Ai:** I was originally going add you in, but you already had a whole chapter with Misaki. Besides, I just felt like not including you. **(^.^)** Sigh. Anyways, I'm like really sick right now, and I have lots of tests coming up, so I'm going to go on an official hiatus until mid-June maybe.

**Misaki:** Mid-June? Okay take your time. I hope you do well on your finals.

**Ai:** Thanks Misaki! How about you Usui? Any words of encouragement for me?

**Usui:** I was originally going to say something, but I already said something to you in another chapter. Besides, I just felt like not encouraging you. **(^.^)**

**Ai:** Wow… using my own words against me I see. Well just to you know, remind you again, I control the turn out of this story.

**Usui:** But we all know that you won't do anything too dramatic because you still have your readers who are waiting for a happy ending.

**Ai:** Are you sure about that, Usui? Are you sure I won't add any random dramatic, heart-twisting scenes and senerios?

**Misaki:** We should probably stop talking now…

**Ai:** Good choice. And since I was so mean to you, Usui, will you do the honors?

**Usui: **Reviews everyone.


End file.
